The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum has dismissed attempts by its Chairman, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, to give control of the party to President Bola Tinubu.
There was pandemonium in the state on Monday as supporters of the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, stormed the assembly complex in protest of the plot to impeach Fubara by 24 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who support Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
News About Nigeria confirmed that Tinubu stepped in on Tuesday, and the PDP Governors Forum applauded him for his quick response to the political situation in Rivers State following their meeting.
Similarly, the Forum members met with the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja on Wednesday in an attempt to resolve the political crisis between him and Fubara.
They also praised Tinubu for appointing Wike to a political post despite Wike belonging to the opposition party.
The governor’s supporters stormed the assembly complex on Monday in protest of the plot, which was carried out by 24 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who support Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike. This caused chaos throughout the state.
Tuesday saw Tinubu step in, and following the meeting, the PDP Governors Forum praised Tinubu for acting quickly to resolve the political issue in Rivers State.
But several supporters of Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, notably Daniel Bwala, the spokesperson for his Presidential Campaign Council, criticised the governors for visiting Wike and endorsing President Tinubu.
In response to the criticism, the PDP Governors Forum said that it has done nothing wrong in praising Tinubu’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Rivers State and that the unity, peace, and tranquillity of the nation transcend politics and political leanings in a statement released by its director general, Cyril Maduabum.
He said that Tinubu was briefed on the circumstances in Rivers State by Abdul Rahman Abdul-Razaq, the governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum.
Maduabum remarked that it would be improper for Mohammed to downplay Tinubu’s contribution to averting the crisis, and he called it dishonest for certain people to make fun of the courtesy shown to the President for his involvement.
He maintained that Bala Mohammed has no intention of giving Tinubu control of the opposition party and that the political situation in Rivers State is not only the PDP’s problem.
He said that the events that transpired in Rivers State should be taken into consideration because they might have an impact on national security and undermine law and order.
He also affirmed that in a statement released on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the Rivers State Police Command admitted as much.
“Senator Bala Mohammed is not trying and will not do anything to hand over the PDP, a leading and formidable opposition party to the President, who was elected on the platform of another party. The situation in Rivers State on October 30, 2023, was not just a PDP affair. No.”, Maduabum asserted further.
