You Ignored Your Appointee but Suspended Fubara – Ex-PANDEF Spokesman Blasts Tinubu

The declaration of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu has been denounced by Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, the former National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
President Tinubu reportedly suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
During a Wednesday interview with News Central, the former PANDEF spokesperson charged that President Tinubu was operating outside of his authority.

According to Sara-Igbe, the President was not authorized by the Constitution to fire Governor Fubara. He claimed that from the start, the President displayed his prejudice against Fubara.

He claimed that Nyesom Wike was given the upper hand in the Supreme Court’s decision over the Rivers State problem because, despite the President’s advice, Wike refused to withdraw his case, while Fubara did.

“It has been clear from the start that Mr. President has a predisposition toward the state governor. I asserted with full authority that he first presented us with an unfair deal, which he then made the Governor execute. The Governor’s obedience to the President was very evident, but Nyesome Wike also disobeyed the President. The Governor also retracted all of his court suits since Nyesom Wike disobeyed the President and the Governor complied with the President. In court, Nyesom Wike refused to drop his cases. This made Nyesom Wike superior to Fubara. The Supreme Court ruled against the government of Sim and Rivers State based on that withdrawal, as if that weren’t enough.

During PANDEF’s visit, Mr. President, he insisted that we travel to Sim in order to establish a Supreme Court. Before that, however, the Sim had consented to carry out a Supreme Court ruling. He remarked, “The same characters are refusing to implement a Supreme Court judgment.”

He asked why, despite having the authority to suspend the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, the President chose to suspend Governor Fubara, even though he lacked the authority to do so.

Regarding the state of emergency, the Niger Delta Stateman questioned the President’s sincerity. Wike’s ally was the only administrator appointed, he added.

“When there are no issues in Rivers State, it is improper for Mr. President to proclaim a state of emergency using Section 305. Again, however, the 1999 Constitution’s Section 305, as amended, does not give the president the authority to remove a council member or even an elected governor. The 1999 Constitution, as modified, does not grant him that authority. He claimed to support the rule of law. Do you call this the rule of law? In order to appease Nyesom Wike, he has removed the governor of River State by abusing his power and authority.

“Let’s examine it impartially. If Nyesom Wike and Sim are fighting. His cabinet still includes Nyesom Wike. Don’t you suspend him? Nyesom Wike should have been suspended if you wanted peace. But he suspended Sim, who was elected, and kept Nyesom Wike there. It would be impossible to dismiss Nyesom Wike, whom he appointed.

Read Also: State of Emergency: Tinubu Should Have Reprimanded Wike Like He Did Fubara – Jega

Last week, he urged Nyesom Wike to bring the army, police, navy, air force, and all other security forces to River State. in the hopes that he will proclaim a state of emergency and the populace will respond. It didn’t work. They simply slept over and thought, “Oh, we have the authority to declare a state of emergency.” “They also brought someone who everyone knows has been photographed with Wike as the sole administrator,” he continued.