Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Board of Trustees (BoT), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has sternly warned against any attempt to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Former Senate President and BoT Chairman of the PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara, who gave the warning in an interview, said that the party would not accept any such act.
Senator Wabara said that the political developments in Rivers did not in any way require state of emergency as a solution.
He condemned in very strong terms, the police occupation of the headquarters of the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State.
Wabara who described the act as provocative, called on the Inspector General of Police to quickly withdraw his men from the council headquarters and allow members of the Caretaker Committees appointed by the Governor to do their jobs.
The PDP BoT boss, advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not to allow “self-seeking anti-democratic forces stoking the embers of war in Rivers State” push him into taking any step that could truncate the peace in the country.
Wabara said it was unconditional to still allow the former Council Chairmen to continue to hold sway after the expiration of their tenure in office. Doing so, according to him, amounts to illegality.
He insisted that those calling for declaration of state of emergency in Rivers are rather the masterminds of any unrest in the state.
The former Senate President warned that any action to ambush the democratically elected Government of Sir Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, could plunge the entire country into avoidable upheaval.
The former Senate President cautioned against trading the peace of Rivers State on the altars of parochial interest of greedy individuals.
“I have keenly watched the political developments in Rivers State, and want to place it on record that PDP and the law abiding citizens of this country will not tolerate any attempt to derail democracy in the state.
“We won’t allow anti-democratic forces and insatiable elements hijack power through the back door in their desperation to hang on to power and hold the state to the jugular.
“Any attempt to scuttle the democratically elected PDP-led Government in Rivers is a recipe to a political unrest capable of consuming the entire country.
“I, therefore, call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not to allow greedy and self overrated power drunks to push him into taking steps that could portray him as a despot, and ultimately plunge the country into avoidable upheaval.”
Wabara reaffirmed support of the PDP BoT, its national leadership and the members of the party for Gov. Fubara-led Government in Rivers State.
Wabara cautioned those behind the issues in Rivers State to place the interest of the state above their personal gains.
