The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended President Bola Tinubu on the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.
Reacting to the decision in a chat with The Sun from Saudi Arabia, the National Secretary of the ruling party, Ajibola Basiru, also asked President Tinubu to extend the decision to Osun, where the state government has grounded local government administration.
Ajibola further claimed that the President’s decision in Rivers has shown that he is not only a statesman but also very neutral in the crisis rocking the state.
According to him, “The decision of Mr. President is a welcome one. It is a decision to salvage democracy and save Rivers from becoming a failed state. The President has shown that he is a statesman; he has shown that he is not partisan in the matters of Rivers State.
“It appears that the gladiators on both sides are not considering the effects of the crisis on the state and the interests of the generality of the Rivers people. The decision of Mr President is well grounded and supported in the constitutional provisions of Nigeria.
“In view of the significance of Rivers State to the Nigerian economy, we cannot allow the situation to degenerate to the extent that it can affect the overall economic well-being of the Nigerian people. It is a signal that the President will not tolerate illegality,” he commended President Tinubu.
Reacting further, Ajibola said: “If some lawyers are saying that Mr President lacks the power to suspend a sitting state governor, do they want Nigeria to be destroyed before he can invoke the relevant constitutional provision?
“They are the same people that ran former governor Fubara into trouble by advising him to rule the state with four members of the House of Assembly. If they want to litigate against the decision, they should go to court, but we want the country to survive based on peace and development.
“We should not forget that a doctrine of necessity was invoked to draft Goodluck Jonathan into power. So, assuming that there is no constitutional provision, will necessity, rule of law and sanctity of life not dictate that such a decision should be taken?
“What I know is that the decision taken by Mr. President was very sound that every reasonable leader concerned about the security and welfare of Rivers State will take. Would he have allowed the state to go into anarchy and become another Somalia because of constitutional interpretation by some people? Ajibola defended.
In his appeals to President Tinubu to replicate the same decision in Osun, the ruling party’s chief scribe said: “We also want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to also declare the same State of Emergency in Osun State.
“The government has grounded local government administration despite the Court of Appeal decision and the advice by the Attorney General,” he appealed
However, the Osun State Government has urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard the call by Senator Ajibola Basiru, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, to declare a state of emergency in Osun.
The government condemned Basiru’s statement, describing it as callous, self-centred and unlawful.
According to the Osun government, in a statement by Kolapo Alimi, the commissioner for information and public enlightenment, the situation in Osun is vastly different from that in Rivers State, where President Tinubu on Tuesday declared a state of emergency.
Alimi stated that Basiru’s call was a desperate attempt to disrupt the peace and tranquillity currently enjoyed in the state.
