Amidst the growing instability in Rivers State, former Governor of the state and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi has risen in defense of suspended Governor Siminalaiyi Fubara.
He absolved Gov. Fubara of the responsibility of securing pipelines, being reason advanced by President Tinubu in declaring emergency in the state and suspending the Gov. Fubara.
In an interview, Amaechi claimed that the fight between the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, is about money sharing.
He also said the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State by President Tinubu was unconstitutional.
Amaechi said, “The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money.
“If not, what is the quarrel? Nigerians don’t dislike corruption anymore. I’ve not seen anybody on the street querying what the problem is. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is?
“We are now denied democracy. Rivers State is the only state in the country currently not enjoying democracy. They have imposed military rule on us.
“Secondly, the president acted outside the constitution. Section 188 states how a governor can leave office, either by death, resignation, or impeachment.
“It didn’t say that one day you wake up and a man called the president of Nigeria will throw you out of office, which makes democracy unstable.”
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Amaechi also claimed Tinubu had a hand in the political turmoil in Rivers State because he wants to wield power by ousting governors who may not support him in the 2027 general elections.
He said: “Rumours are everywhere that if any governor is not careful, the president will remove you. So, the Rivers issue is about sharing money and 2027 politics.
“If the president said that the pipe that exploded was the reason why he tagged Rivers unstable and insecure by declaring a state of emergency, what about the other parts of the country where there is insecurity?
“Is the president saying that they should impose an emergency rule on him? They can’t because he is a democratically elected president. There are insecurity issues in the North East and North West, even in the South East and South South.
“The governor has no responsibility for the blown pipes in Rivers. Security responsibility rests solely on the president. Why punish a man who did not commit any offence?” Amaechi queried.
