As the crisis in Rivers State gradually snowballs to worrisome proportions, opposing camps prepare for a showdown come Wednesday.
This comes as weighty allegations have been levelled against governor Siminilayi Fubara by the former council chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Samuel Nwanosike.
Nwanosike is also a close associate of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
In a video that went viral on Tuesday, Nwanosike accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Chief of Staff, Hon Edison Ehie, of recruiting cultists and gunmen to spread chaos across the state’s 23 local government councils.
According to him, Governor Fubara personally recruited gunmen from the creeks to destabilize the local governance structures.
He said, “They went and hired cultists led by the chief of staff, Edison Ehie shooting and looting council properties in the name of governing a state. They even shot the police. Is this the best for democracy!”
The embattled former council boss called on President Bola Tinubu to uphold the constitution of Nigeria in the Rivers State crisis to avoid the breakdown of law and order. “We are calling on Mr President that this is the time to uphold the constitution of Nigeria. Governor Fubara has brought insecurity full blown into Rivers state”.
He alleged that the Governor and his chief of staff sponsored gunmen and cultists to unleash terror on the people of the state, adding that the people of Ikwerre local government area will wait for the decision of the Appeal Court, which earlier ruled that the status quo, in the matter, should remain.
In his reaction, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, said the former chairman was merely trying to be clever by half, noting that there was no shooting anywhere in the state as alleged.
His allegations or claims are very funny. We are not in any desperate mode to take over any council in the state. The constitution is very clear on this matter. It says that any law that is enacted at the lower level cannot supersede the constitution of the country.
“The judgment of Justice D.G. Kio of the state High Court is there for everybody to make references to. The law No 2 that they made had been expunged and is not only invalid but is nonexistent. About insecurity in the state, you can see that Rivers state is very peaceful. There is no gunshot anywhere.
“I am right now sitting with the oldest man in my family, aged 90, for a meeting, and my house is at the center of Port Harcourt. There is no single gunshot anywhere here or the entire state”, Johnson defended.