Fubara’s Suspension: ‘We Were Hiding For Fear Of The Unknown Before The President Intervened’ – Okocha

The Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Okocha, has revealed that he was forced into hiding due to fears for his safety, until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Okocha stated that the emergency declaration was crucial in preventing Rivers State from descending into anarchy.

Naijaonpoint reports that Okocha, a staunch ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, acknowledged that the declaration of emergency rule by President Tinubu was a timely and necessary decision that saved the state from chaos.

“People like us could hardly leave certain places because we were hiding for fear of the unknown as non-state actors brandished guns and made statements tailored toward anarchy and lawlessness. We all knew there was a looming problem before the President intervened,” he said.

He further emphasized that had the situation worsened before the President’s intervention, there would have been greater criticism of Tinubu for failing to act decisively.

“We all know that Rivers State is one of the states that sustain this country. Some of these people shouting that the President did wrong when he stepped in would have also said, ‘You had this decision at your fingertips and did nothing,’ if things had gone out of hand,” Okocha remarked.

The APC leader expressed his support for President Tinubu, describing the emergency rule as a “necessary evil” that would eventually restore normalcy to the state.

He commended the heightened security and intelligence efforts in Rivers since the declaration, noting that opposition figures like himself could now move around freely.

“Security and intelligence have been beefed up in Rivers since the state of emergency was declared. With the emergency declared, people like us who are in the opposition in the state can now move around,” Okocha said.

Okocha also revealed that despite the ongoing political tensions, former Governor Nyesom Wike had been working behind the scenes to facilitate peace between the state government and Governor Fubara.

He claimed that self-interested politicians in the state had misled Governor Fubara, contributing to the political crisis.

According to Okocha, the political crisis in Rivers State was inevitable, particularly after the actions of Governor Fubara, who he claimed had undermined the state’s legislative arm.

He criticized Fubara’s decision to dismiss 27 lawmakers and operate with only three, which he described as “abnormal” and “unheard of in a democracy.”

“The governor jettisoned 27 lawmakers and was dealing with only three lawmakers while withholding the finances of the State Assembly, which was abnormal. It was a misnomer, unheard of in a democracy, to have 12.5 percent of legislators in place to run the government,” Okocha explained.

He also condemned the governor for allegedly pulling down the State Assembly complex under the guise of renovations without prior notice, calling it an “affront to democracy.”

Okocha expressed support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its decision to challenge the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State at the Supreme Court. He stated that such a legal challenge would enrich the country’s jurisprudence and provide clarity on the matter.

Furthermore, he challenged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take action after what he described as its silence when the State Assembly complex was allegedly demolished on the orders of Governor Fubara.