A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has criticised Nigerians for what he described as their “docile silence” during the six-month emergency rule that suspended democratic governance in Rivers State.
Naijaonpoint reports that Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), made the remarks in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
The APC stalwart lamented that the unconstitutional suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara was allowed to stand without resistance.
“Nigerians watched and did nothing, allowing the illegalities in Rivers State to happen successfully,” Eze said.
He warned that continued indifference to such developments could erode democracy and set a dangerous precedent.
“If Nigerians continue in this line of docility, the country and its democracy will be negatively impacted,” he cautioned.
Governor Fubara, who was suspended by President Bola Tinubu in March, was reinstated on Wednesday and is expected to resume official duties on Thursday.
Eze, however, noted that the governor’s silence during the crisis was understandable.
“The deafening silence of Governor Fubara on the matter is understandable as he is helpless, particularly given the fact that it is a fight by the federal government against an individual, the Governor, who has no control over any state apparatus, particularly the security architecture,” he said.
Eze urged the reinstated governor to focus on service delivery and the development of Rivers State, insisting that any agreement signed under duress must not override the people’s mandate.
“Service to the people should be top on his to-do list because Rivers people still believe in the sincerity of his administration. Any agreement that does not serve the interest of the people which the Governor was made to sign must be subject to the mandate to provide service and be accountable to the people,” he stated.
The APC chieftain further accused President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of undermining the will of Rivers people during the crisis.
“The sins that Tinubu and Wike have committed against Rivers State and her people are unforgivable,” he declared.