The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum has debunked moves by its Chairman and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, to hand over the party to President Bola Tinubu.
Bellnews recalls that efforts by 24 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, to impeach the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara resulted in chaos in the state on Monday, as the governor’s loyalists stormed the assembly complex in protest against the plot.
Tinubu intervened on Tuesday, and the PDP Governors Forum, after its meeting, commended Tinubu for his prompt intervention in the Rivers State political crisis.
Similarly, the Forum members, in their effort to reconcile Wike and Fubara, met with the FCT minister in Abuja on Wednesday and also commended Tinubu for Wike’s political appointment despite being a member of the opposition party.
However, some loyalists of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, including his Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, knocked the governors for visiting Wike and praising Tinubu.
Responding to the criticism, the PDP Governors Forum, in a statement by its Director General, Cyril Maduabum, declared that the unity, peace and tranquillity of the country transcend politics and political leanings, saying the Forum has not done anything wrong by appreciating Tinubu’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Rivers State.
He revealed that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Kwara State Governor, Abdul Rahman Abdul-Razaq, informed Tinubu of the situation in Rivers State.
Maduabum said it would be awkward for Mohammed not to acknowledge Tinubu’s role to nip the crisis in the bud, describing it as deceitful for certain persons to lampoon the courtesies extended to the President for his intervention.
He argued that the political crisis in Rivers State is not just a PDP affair, adding that Bala Mohammed had no intention to hand over the opposition party to Tinubu.
The statement read, “It should be noted that the events that played out in Rivers State had national security implications; it had the potential to lead to a breakdown of law and order. Indeed, the Rivers State Police Command acknowledged as much in its statement on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
“Nigeria’s history is replete with instances where development in one state could snowball and affect the whole country. Rivers State is one of the major oil-producing states in Nigeria. A breach of peace in Rivers State, considering its strategic value and importance, no doubt, could affect other states of the federation.
“Indeed, it is a sign of good leadership and a high sense of duty that Gov. Bala Mohammed summoned and held an emergency meeting of the Forum immediately after the Rivers State matter came up. We think that he deserves credit for this.
“There is no way Governor Bala Mohammed, being a lover of peace in all parts of the country could fold his hands and fail to act or appreciate the good efforts of the President in finding a solution to the crisis. This further explains the shuttle diplomacy employed by the PDP Governors’ Forum led by Gov. Bala Mohammed in visiting and counselling the dramatis personae in the crises.
“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.”