In an interview on “Politics Today,” Governor Fubara of Rivers State responded to the president’s statement addressing the violent aftermath that followed the withdrawal of police officers from 23 local government secretariats in Rivers State.
He voiced his concerns regarding President Bola Tinubu’s recent comments about the violent destruction of local government secretariats in the state, particularly over the president’s specific mention of his name.
The withdrawal led to violent clashes in at least four local government areas, with council premises in Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua set on fire, while gunshots were reported in Ahoada East, as political opponents resisted the installation of newly elected council officials.
Governor Fubara commented on the situation, saying, “The issue is very simple. It’s as simple as ABC. Everyone in Nigeria, everyone in Rivers State knows where this issue is coming from. It’s not rocket science. The issue is not Fubara. It is not.”
The political unrest in Rivers State escalated after Fubara proceeded with local government elections on Saturday, despite the withdrawal of key political parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as the police.
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The elections resulted in the Action People’s Party (APP) winning 22 out of the 23 chairmanship seats, while the Action Alliance (AA) secured one.
Following the elections, Fubara swore in the new local government chairmen on Sunday. However, many of the officials soon faced violent attacks, with several secretariats being set ablaze on Monday.
President Tinubu responded to the escalating violence by directing the police to secure the affected secretariats and calling on political leaders and their supporters to remain calm and respect the rule of law.
While Governor Fubara appreciated the president’s intervention, he expressed unease about being singled out in the remarks. “I do not have any issue with it (the President’s intervention), but I am a bit concerned when my name was the only one mentioned,” Fubara remarked.
The governor also acknowledged the efforts of the Inspector General of Police but partly attributed the unrest to the early withdrawal of police officers from the local government secretariats. He argued that this decision had given room for hoodlums to exploit the situation.
“Maybe as a result of the police pulling their men out of those secretariats, it gave these hoodlums the opportunity to take advantage of the situation,” Fubara said. “I was never of the opinion that the police should pull out completely. It allowed miscreants to destroy the secretariats.”
Governor Fubara concluded by emphasizing the importance of maintaining security forces at the secretariats to protect the newly elected officials and ensure the enforcement of law and order.
