All Progressives Congress, APC, stalwart, Okoi Obono-Obla, has cautioned the Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, stating that he must watch his back.
Naijaonpoint reports that the former personal assistant to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution, in a statement issued in Calabar, advised Fubara to adopt a reconciliation approach in the state crisis rather than play to the political gallery, which may lead to his political demise.
Obono-Obla noted that the acting party chairman in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, lacks the power to ask the 27 APC lawmakers in the state House of Assembly to impeach Fubara.
He said, “Governor Fubara should better watch his back. As it stands, he lacks the number in the House of Assembly to ward off any potential legislative onslaught on him.
“He should, therefore, adopt a reconciliation approach rather than play to the political gallery, which may lead him to his political demise.
“It doesn’t lie in the mouth of Tony Okocha to tell the legislators when or not they should impeach Governor Fubara. Okocha is not a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly and, therefore, has no role whatsoever to play in the impeachment of the governor. The impeachment of a governor is strictly a legislative matter for only the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Therefore, the ball is a political blustery and brinkmanship that is always the forte of politicians.”
Speaking on the election of a new Speaker of the State Assembly by five PDP lawmakers loyal to Governor Fubara, Obono-Obla said it is unconstitutional and a joke carried too far.
Obono-Obla expressed unhappiness over the crop of leaders in Rivers State who tend to antagonise and destabilise the state instead of focusing on governance.
He added, “The purported election by five members of a Speaker in a 31-member House of Assembly is a joke carried too far. By Section 96, Subsection 1 of the Constitution, the quorum of a House of Assembly shall be one-third of all the members of the House.
“The Rivers State House of Assembly has 31 members. Mathematically, 1/3 of 31 is 10.33.
“Therefore, constitutionally, only about 10 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly can muster the constitutional quorum to elect a speaker.
“The crisis in Rivers State is driven by personal egos, empty pride, ego tripping, lawlessness, infantilism, grand frivolity, and institutionalization of the culture of impunity, of which Rivers State has become a hotbed and bastion.
“It is unfortunate and a sad commentary for the ordinary people of Rivers State to be saddled with leaders who spend all their time fighting instead of focusing squarely on the serious business of governance.”