Loyalists of the minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike, have descended heavily on a member of the House of Representatives from Rivers, Boma Goodhead, who attacked Wike at the weekend and made wild allegations against the former governor.
Goodhead and her colleague, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, led a peaceful march on the streets of Port Harcourt to support the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who is their kinsman.
Abiante represents Fubara’s Andoni/Opobo/Nkuro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives while Goodhead represents Asari-Toru/Akuku-Toru Federal Constituency, another Ijaw-speaking area of the state.
While Abiante sued for peace, Goodhead frontally attacked Wike and dared him to enter Port Harcourt just as she asked the Federal Government to call the Minister to order.
But Wike’s loyalists fumed over the attack on their principal, who singlehandedly ensured the election of Goodhead in the past poll.
Leading the voices of Wike’s loyalists, a former Chief of Staff to the Minister, Emeka Woke, told Goodhead that Wike had been in Port Harcourt since Friday and dared her to actualise her threat.
Woke, who advised that persons in a glass house should stop throwing stones, recalled how Goodhead begged Wike for her current position promising that she would not betray the Minister.
He said: “Let me warn that those who live in a glass house should not throw stones. I remember one lady, the last time I remembered her was when she came crying and weeping even swearing with his father and mother that she would never betray Wike.
“But because she had been given a contract to renovate Rivers Government House in Asikoro, she could now come and say, ‘I dare Wike to come to Port Harcourt’. Let me remind her that Wike had been in Port Harcourt since Friday.
“He was even at Eleme on Saturday and retuned to Rumuepirikon. If she knows she is a woman, let her dare Wike and she will see fire”.
Woke, who recently resigned his appointment as Commissioner on Special Duties in Fubara’s cabinet said persons fanning the ambers of ethnic war should remember that no tribe had the monopoly of violence.
He said: “Those who are fanning the ambers of ethnic war, I want to tell them that there is no particular ethnic group that has the monopoly of violence. Everybody should take it easy. Nobody is fighting anybody.
“They told us it is father and son’s fight. Whe it leaves the realm of father and son, they will see people. There is nobody that does not have the capacity to mobilise thousands of people to occupy Port Harcourt. But who is going to lose?”
But Rivers elders led by a former Governor, Rufus Ada George, held an emergency meeting over the crisis rocking the state, lamented that the two gladiators in the crisis were frustrating their efforts to resolve the impasse.
In a communique they issued after the meeting, the elders said: “The Forum regretted that neither Governor Siminialayi Fubara nor Chief Nyesom Wike responded to our letters seeking audience with each of them.
“The attempt to impeach the governor of Rivers State barely about six months in office without explaining to the good people of the State, the reasons and infractions of law is unacceptable.
“The Forum condemn every form of violence and lawlessness in Rivers State and therefore demand proper investigation of the crisis and those responsible be brought to Justice.
“The Forum reviewed the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Rivers State Government and urged the Government to expedite action on rebuilding the demolished House of Assembly Complex so that law makers will continue their legislative business in the permanent site within the shortest possible time.
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“The Forum condemn in its entirety, the misuse of Rivers people political power vested in politicians by the people for personal gains and interest. Hence, we condemn in its entirety, the recent defection of twenty seven law makers without recourse to their constituents”.
Those, who signed the communique are O.P. Fingesi, Anabs Sara-Igbe, Prof. Dagogo Fubara, Ede Obolo, Captain Nwankwo, Eze Tony, Ankio Briggs, High Chief Marcus Atata, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Prof. Wilson Ake.among others.
The state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it would soon issue a statement on its official position on the crisis.
The state Publicity Secretary, Tambari Sydney Gbara disassociated the party from any statement issued outside the office of the Publicity Secretary.
Tambari said: “The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Rivers State has been keenly following up on recent events in our polity in the State and will come up with an official statement to address these issues soon in the interest of our Party, in other to avoid conflicting information to our teeming supporters.
“It is important to note that only the office of the State Publicity secretary has the sole responsibility to do so.
However, it is the right of any individual to take his or her position on any issue, but such a position should not be misconstrued as the official statement from the Peoples Democratic Party Rivers State Chapter.
“We, therefore warn that anybody who is doing so should desist forthwith, while we call on our supporters to remain firm in their resolve to stand with the Party at this trying time, we will surely come out of this impasse stronger.”
