Tinubu Won’t Take Sides In Rivers Crisis

President Bola Tinubu will not take sides in the raging political crisis rocking Rivers State, the presidency has declared.

Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, who disclosed this during an interview on TVC News on Saturday, said those hoping the president would take a side are mistaken and would be disappointed.

He added that the president will not allow the efforts of the Rivers State government to conduct its affairs for the benefit of the people to be frustrated.

The rift between Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged predecessor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, took a fresh twist recently with a call by All Progressives Congress (APC) on APC lawmakers to impeach the governor.

The governor, in turn, said the 27 APC lawmakers, who are Wike loyalists, do not exist, having constitutionally lost their seats after they left PDP for APC. He also said an initial political deal brokered by the president to resolve the rift was unconstitutional.

But, Wike, at a recent gathering in Rivers State, said he regretted supporting Fubara to emerge governor and pledged to remove him in 2027.

However, while speaking the TVC, the presidential spokesman said “I believe that anyone who believes that by their actions, whether it’s from the federal level or from the state level and even to the legislative branch in the state or the executive branch, if they are banking on Mr. President taking sides in this matter, they are mistaken and they would be disappointed.

“The President will never take sides, what he will do is to ensure that everybody has what they need to work. He is also going to ensure that any attempt to defund or frustrate the operation of the Rivers State government from conducting its affairs in a way that will benefit the Rivers people that obviously will not be allowed by this president or anybody else.

“I think there is a need for all stakeholders to understand that the President will not take sides and that they need to focus in on governance and deliverance of the dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers State and that should be their only consideration to the lead up to 2027 when we can start talking about politics.”