Rivers political crisis threatens democracy, must be quickly resolved– Okupe

A former presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe, says the political crisis in Rivers has reached to a  level where it could  seriously harm the nation’s  democracy .

Okupe, in an interview with thenewsmen on Sunday, said that the crisis had the potential to destabilise the nation ,if not quickly resolved .

He described the feud  between Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and his predecessor and FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike and the attendant political tension in the state as unfortunate.

“Going down memory lane, one is sad to note that the feud between Wike and Fubara is comparable to that between late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the then Premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Akintola.

“As remote and limited this crisis was then, it was one of the precursors of the collapse of that republic.

“It will be wise for the Federal Government and men of goodwill in Rivers and the entire nation to move in on this matter before it goes completely, and uncontrollably out of hands,” Okupe said.

According to him, it is clear that only political solution, no matter how difficult it is to arrive at, can be effective in resolving all issues and all sides in the crisis.

Wike and his successor, Fubara, have been engaged in political struggle over the control of the state for some months now, which has created tension in the state and  polarised the state assembly.

The crisis worsened following the conduct of the Oct. 5  council elections ,the outcome of which led to  violent destruction of some council secretariats by political thugs.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja  had on Thursday affirmed a lower court’s decision ,nullifying the state’s  2024 budget signed into law and being operated by Fubara, further creating uncertainty.

The N800 billion budget was passed in December 2023 by a faction of the  state’s House of Assembly ,loyal to Fubara, led by Edison Ehie.