Amid the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers Elders Council, on Friday urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sara-Igbe criticized the removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, arguing that the President lacks the constitutional authority to suspend a democratically elected governor.
“He has no constitutional power to suspend the governor,” Sara-Igbe asserted. “But the minister, who is at the center of the crisis and was appointed by him, has not been questioned or sanctioned. What stops him from taking action against the minister responsible for the problem?”
On Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, suspending the governor, his deputy, and all elected lawmakers of the Rivers Assembly for an initial six months. He justified the move by citing escalating violence, including explosions and vandalism of petroleum pipelines linked to the political turmoil.
Weighing in on the matter, Sara-Igbe accused Wike of being the main cause of the crisis in Rivers State. He criticized the President’s approach, stating that it was unfair to suspend Fubara while allowing Wike to remain in office as FCT Minister.
“You have suspended an elected governor but failed to act against the minister who is at the root of the crisis. If two children are fighting, you discipline both of them to be fair. You cannot punish only one while sparing the troublemaker,” he said.
He further accused Wike of inciting divisions and disrespecting various groups, adding, “He has insulted elders, provoked ethnic tensions, and fueled instability, yet the peaceful one who has followed due process is the one being punished.”
He has disrespected various regions of the country and even his elders, inciting ethnic groups to stir up trouble. Yet, the one who has remained peaceful and law-abiding is the one you have chosen to sanction,” he stated.
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