Wike Responsible For Rivers State Of Emergency – Says Ex-Gov, Rufus George

A former Governor of Rivers State, Rufus Ada George, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of being behind the current political turmoil in the state.

This includes the declaration of a state of emergency and the contentious appointment of sole administrators across all 23 local government areas.

Naija News reports that George, who held the governorship from 1992 to 1993 and now leads the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, made these statements during a press conference addressing the recent political events in the state.

Despite the prevailing unrest, George said the forum remains optimistic that the FCT Minister will engage with relevant stakeholders to ease tensions and promote dialogue.

He also mentioned that the Rivers Elders Forum had reached out to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Wike at the beginning of the crisis but did not receive any replies.

George said, “The FCT Minister is the architect of all these things,” accusing him of fanning the flames of instability after failing to impose his political agenda on the state’s leadership.

“He could set ablaze states where the governors did not share his views.

“And that is exactly what I think he is trying to do in Rivers State. Enough is enough. We will not allow him to set Rivers State ablaze anymore.”

Naija News reports that the elder statesman said the minister was in the state days before the appointments were announced.

“He was reported to have been here on the 7th, Monday evening, traversing the whole place, visiting the military administrator. Then following that, this announcement came through,” George said.

He strongly condemned the appointments, describing them as unconstitutional and an assault on democratic governance.

“The appointment of sole administrators is unconstitutional,” George said.

“There are laid down legal processes for constituting local government leadership. This action undermines those principles.”

While insisting that the forum will continue to seek peaceful solutions, Ada George warned that the Rivers people would not fold their arms in the face of provocation.

“We cannot go physical… but we will resist in any form that will attempt to disrupt or disorganize this state.

“We hoped he would consult with stakeholders for peacebuilding, to calm tensions, and to resolve the issues between the two parties—not escalate them,” he said.

Quoting Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ada George appealed for calm: “Surulere, Surulere”— be patient, be silent. And I am going to borrow the words of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to say Surulere, Surulere to all those who are involved in these activities.

“We did communicate in writing to both the warring parties… but unfortunately, we didn’t have the courtesy of receiving a reply from any of them.”

George reiterated the forum’s commitment to a lawful resolution.

“We will go to court where necessary. We have cases in court at the moment, and we will continue,” he affirmed.