The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Edwin Clark, has warned the Rivers State lawmakers against causing tension and anarchy in the state.
Naijaonpoint reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state, Tony Okocha, had on Tuesday called on the 27 members of the state House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to commence impeachment process against Governor Sim Fubara immediately.
Okocha warned that the lawmakers’ failure to heed the directive would attract severe sanctions in accordance with relevant sections of the party’s constitution.
Reacting to the development, Edwin Clark called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to stop the 27 lawmakers from issuing provocative statements that could increase tension in the state.
In a letter addressed to the IGP in Abuja on Tuesday, Clark noted that the lawmakers had vacated their seats by defection to the APC, according to Section 109 (1g) 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Clark noted that their defection would only be justified and accepted if there was a crisis or factions in the national leadership of the PDP, according to a Supreme Court ruling in the case of FEDECO vs Goni and the Attorney General vs Abubakar.
According to him, the court ruled that only such splintering would justify a defection to another party and the retention of the seat until the expiration of the tenure, according to the provisions of Section 68 (1) (g) ad Section 222 (a),(e) and (f) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Clark stated, “I appeal to the Inspector General of Police. You are a very intelligent fellow. We have seen that your policemen in uniform are being used to breach the constitution of Nigeria with impunity. You have to arrest the situation. People whose elections have been declared null and void, should not be allowed to disturb the government of the elected governor in Rivers State.
“It (the crisis) will spread from Niger Delta; from Niger Delta to the economy, and it will affect our economy, which is already very bad. I believe that the Inspector General of Police should advise Mr President that the interest of one individual and his men is not above the interest of the nation. Otherwise, there will be problems in this country that we will not be able to cope with.
“Mr Wike helped Mr Fubara to become governor of Rivers, but the duo parted ways because of the minister’s ambition to control the politics and governance in the state. The crisis deteriorated, prompting President Bola Tinubu to midwife a controversial peace deal between Messrs Wike and Fubara after the seats of 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the Rivers House of Assembly were declared vacant following their defection to the APC.’’