Governor Siminalayi Fubara has expressed concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s recent remarks regarding the violent destruction of local government secretariats in Rivers State, particularly the exclusive mention of his name.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Fubara reacted to the president’s statement, which addressed the crisis following the withdrawal of police officers from 23 local government secretariats.
Violent clashes ensued in at least four local government areas, with council premises in Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua set ablaze and gunfire heard in Ahoada East as political opponents resisted the newly elected council officials.
The governor said: “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 tension escalated after Governor Fubara insisted on holding local government elections on Saturday despite the withdrawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the police from the process.
The Action People’s Party (APP) emerged victorious in 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, with the Action Alliance (AA) securing one seat.
Fubara swore in the new local government chairmen on Sunday, but many faced attacks, and several secretariats were torched on Monday.
President Tinubu responded late Monday by directing the police to secure the secretariats and urging political leaders and their supporters to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law.
However, Fubara expressed concern about the president’s focus on him while omitting others involved in the crisis.
“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 noted.
The governor acknowledged the Inspector General of Police’s intervention but attributed part of the unrest to the premature withdrawal of officers from the secretariats, which emboldened miscreants to strike.
“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.
“I was never of the opinion that the police should pull out completely. It allowed miscreants to destroy the secretariats,” Fubara said.
He reiterated the need for security forces to remain on duty at the secretariats to protect the newly elected officials and ensure law and order.
