Tinubu Has No Constitutional Right To Intervene In Rivers Crisis – Robert Clarke

An elder statesman, Robert Clarke (SAN), has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not have any constitutional right to have waded into the political crisis which has engulfed Rivers State for some weeks.

The renowned lawyer said President Tinubu does not have any constitutional role to play in the power tussle between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Clark said the president is not backed by the Constitution to intervene in state matters.

He said, “The constitutional role of the President in all this fracas – there should have been none. Because we were not expecting it, none has been provided for.

“The only time, the only constitution that allows the Federal government to put its mouth in a local thing is during the first republic when a declaration of emergency was declared in the west.

“The president has no power, he knows that. The best legal brain cannot help him. You can’t bring Robert Clarke to come and change the law to enable the president to come and intervene. Under what constitutional provisions? So, the law by itself as of today did not provide (a constitutional right for Tinubu to intervene in State matters).”

Naija News reports the crisis which has caused a lot of political tension in Rivers state, saw Governor Fubara face-off against his predecessor and serving FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

However, President Tinubu, on Monday, resolved the lingering political impasse in the state during a meeting with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, former governor Peter Odili, and some other stakeholders, held at the State House in Abuja.

Some resolutions were reached and agreed upon by the stakeholders who signed off after the meeting in the Aso Rock Villa.