The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) stated on Thursday that the political crisis in Rivers State is not just a matter for their party, and they appreciated President Bola Tinubu’s involvement.
They believe the crisis now goes beyond the PDP and has national security implications.
According to Leadership, the governors responded to media reports criticizing their chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, for showing appreciation to President Bola Tinubu’s efforts in resolving the Rivers State crisis and not supporting the PDP’s candidates in Election Tribunals.
They made it clear that their chairman had no intention of handing over the PDP to a President who was elected from a different party.
In the midst of the crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the PDP national leadership called for calm and committed to using internal mechanisms to resolve the issues. Even Wike acknowledged that the crisis was a party matter.
After a meeting with the PDP national leadership, the party’s governors praised President Tinubu for his intervention.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and Fubara’s political benefactor, is now a PDP member serving in an APC-led central government.
Some were unhappy with this situation, as seen in a video on social media where a former campaign spokesman for the PDP criticized the PDP governors for applauding Tinubu’s intervention.
However, the director-general of the PDP-GF, Hon. C.I. D. Maduabum, defended the courtesies extended to the President for his involvement in the Rivers political crisis.
He clarified that it was actually the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, an APC Governor, who initiated contact with the President regarding the Rivers State situation, and all 36 Governors supported this move.
The statement stressed that the events in Rivers State had national security implications and could lead to a breakdown of law and order, as acknowledged by the Rivers State Police Command.
Maduabum stated that President Tinubu, as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and Chief Security Officer of the nation, had to intervene to prevent a crisis.
He also pointed out that Nigeria’s history shows how issues in one state can affect the entire country, and a breach of peace in a major oil-producing state like Rivers could impact other states.
The PDP Governors’ Forum believes that thanking the President for resolving the Rivers State crisis does not imply an attempt to hand over the PDP to him, as the situation had national significance beyond party politics.
Credit: Opera except headline
