The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has said Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, cannot be blamed for the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State.
Recall that on Tuesday, March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared State of Emergency in the oil-rich state, blaming it on the protracted political crisis. The president suspended the governor and House of Assembly members for six months, appointing former Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ibas, as sole administrator.
However, many accused the president of taking sides with Wike and blaming the crisis on Fubara.
During an interactive session with State House Correspondents, on Thursday, Fagbemi dismissed claims that Wike caused the state of emergency in Rivers. He blamed Governor Fubara for the political logjam that led to the declaration of the State of Emergency.
“There are occasions when it comes to national issues. We have to come out plainly. Was Wike the one that asked the State Assembly to be demolished? I don’t see the hand of the Minister of the FCT in what happened.”he said
Fagbemi added that the Supreme Court came to the conclusion that the governor had envisaged that he might be impeached and ordered demolition of the House of Assembly to prevent that. He said if the Supreme Court had concluded that there was no government in Rivers, then there was nothing a responsible leader could have done than to take the decision of Tuesday.
“The President took a very bold decision. As things stand we have a duty to give maximum respect to the judgement of the Supreme Court,” he said.
Fagbemi advised those not happy with the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers to approach the National Assembly
“If the National Assembly feel what the President did was not okay, he will not have two third from the National Assembly. We are expecting that within 48 hours something will come out.”he said