Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Malagi, has refuted claims of Federal Government orchestration in the political turmoil gripping Rivers State. Despite ties between some actors in the crisis and President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, Malagi asserts that this does not implicate the APC government.
Malagi in a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, pointed to previous interventions by President Buhari in states like Ondo, emphasizing that internal party disputes are not exclusive to Rivers State.
“The fact that it is happening in Rivers does not mean that it is the Federal Government that is orchestrating the political crisis,” he said.
“I’ve not found evidence to say that it is the Federal Government that is engineering the crisis in Rivers State,” the minister stated, adding that “it is easy to speculate because some of the actors are people who associate with the government at the centre”.
The ongoing crisis in the 32-member Rivers State House of Assembly stems from a rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and predecessor Nyesom Wike, currently the FCT Minister within the APC-controlled government.
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The recent demolition of the Assembly Complex by Governor Fubara, citing structural concerns, adds a new layer to the dispute.
Edison Ehie, court-recognized leader, received the N800bn 2024 budget estimates from the governor, who also declares vacant the seats of 27 members defecting from PDP to APC, loyal to Martins Amaewhule, an ally of Wike.
Despite interventions by President Tinubu and PDP governors, the political upheaval persists.
Governor Fubara, accused of aligning with political adversaries by Wike, had apologized and reaffirmed his allegiance, yet the discord remains unresolved.
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