The Governors Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party has come out to defend President Bola Tinubu’s involvement in the crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the forum, the crisis wasn’t solely a party matter as it had the potential to affect the security situation in the South-south geopolitical zone, its oil production, and the economy in general. In a statement issued by the forum’s Director General, Cyril Maduabum, the governors stated that it was disingenuous for some people to criticize the courtesies rendered to the president for his intervention.
Maduabum said that the events that happened in Rivers State had national security implications and had the potential to lead to a breakdown of law and order, which the Rivers State Police Command acknowledged in its statement. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and effectively the chief security officer of the nation, President Tinubu had to intervene to nip the crisis in the bud.
Rivers State is one of the major oil-producing states in Nigeria, and a breach of peace there, considering its strategic value and importance, no doubt, could affect other states of the federation. The statement added that Governor Bala Mohammed held an emergency meeting of the forum immediately after the Rivers state matter came up, which was a sign of good leadership and a high sense of duty.
The forum emphasized that the unity, peace, and tranquility of the country transcend politics and political leanings and that Mohammed was not about handing over the PDP, a leading and formidable opposition party, to the president, who was elected on the platform of another party.