Federal Gov’t Not Behind Rivers Crisis — Info Minister

The federal government has washed its hands off the ongoing political crisis rocking Rivers State, saying it should not be held responsible for the feud between the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike and the state’s governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

He maintained that the federal government has no hand in creating the crisis, which has seen the FCT minister and some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly pitted against Governor Fubara.

On account of the crisis, 27 of the lawmakers had announced their defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to their seats being declared vacant by the state Legislature.

The minister said the position adopted by Wike on the crisis was not shared by the federal government.

He said, “Well, he is a federal cabinet member; he is involved in the situation in the state. That cannot be a federal government position. How can it be the federal government’s position?”

Idris stressed that the federal government was rather keen to ensure peace and tranquility in every part of the country including Rivers State, saying: “Well, the federal government is always interested in the wellbeing of all the states, and in that direction the federal government will always align with everyone in Nigeria to make sure that there is peace and tranquility in all parts of this country.

“But you know that what has happened in Rivers is not a creation of the federal government. It is a political problem that is brewing in the state.

“Of course, the government will ensure that there is peace and stability for all Nigerians, including Rivers State, but you can’t say that this is a creation of the federal government. The federal government never had any hand in creating that problem.”

On the allegation raised by Asari Dokubo, accusing President Bola TInubu of ignoring the festering crisis in Rivers State, the federal government’s spokesman noted that what the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteers Force said was only advisory.

“I saw Asari Dokubo’s message. It was an advisory. He made an advisory. And when you make an advisory, you allow time to see whether the person you have given the advice will look at it again and come back to you. That does not suggest anything. That doesn’t suggest that the federal government created that problem. It was never a creation of the federal government. It is a creation of the political situation in River State,” the Minister reiterated.