CHUKWUDI AKASIKE writes that the current crisis of confidence among key players in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State could adversely affect the fortunes of the party in 2015
Over the last few months, Rivers State has been the epicentre of a seemingly intractable, but avoidable political crisis. Leading members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state are at loggerheads over the control of the party.
First, it was a ruling by an Abuja High Court which ordered the removal of the Chief Godspower Ake-led state executive of the PDP, then the refusal of the state government to recognise the new executive.
Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and his supporters explained to whoever cared to listen, that they could not recongnise the new chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah.
This, they argued, was because Obuah was not even present during the congress that produced Ake as state chairman of the party.
Although the Ake-led executive has since filed an appeal against the Abuja High Court verdict, the court is yet to vacate its earlier judgment, as such Obuah remains the legally recognised chairman.
Another incident that deepened the crisis was a decision by the State House of Assembly to suspend the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Timothy Nsirim, the vice chairman and 17 councillors over alleged financial impropriety.
Observers argue that this decision worsened an already bad situation as the Obuah-led group which enjoys support from the supervising Minister of Education; Chief Nyesom Wike, disapproved of Nsirim’s suspension. Interestingly, Wike hails from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The Obuah-led PDP state executive and five members of the State House of Assembly insist that the suspension of the chairman and the council did not follow due process. While this controversy was still raging, Amaechi inaugurated a caretaker committee to handle the affairs of the council.
Before then, five out of the 32 members of the House had been plotting to impeach the Speaker, Otelemaba Amachree, citing the Obio/Akpor affair.
An attempt to execute the plot sparked a row in the House of Assembly on July 9, 2013. Perhaps to ensure that the plot against the Speaker failed, Amaechi, raced to the House. The calculation was that the removal of the Speaker would be a prelude to the removal of the governor from office.
In the end, a member of the House, Michael Chinda, was seriously injured after a brutal attack by the House Leader, Chidi Lloyd.
Prior to that time, Otelemaba and the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, raised the alarm that the lives of the governor and top state government functionaries were in danger.
This was sequel to the sudden withdrawal of security details attached to some of these officials.
The State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, had earlier directed that police guards be withdrawn from certain government officials.
Mbu also invited Otelemaba and Okocha to the state Police Command Headquarters to substantiate their claim. Since the April 2013 Abuja High Court judgment, the political crisis in the state has shown no sign of abating.
The National Assembly has since taken over the functions of the State House of Assembly. It also urged the Federal Government to redeploy the state police commissioner to another state.
While the National Assembly went on recess, another drama played out. This time around, Amaechi who was in company with over 75 former speakers of State Houses of Assembly was prevented from using the Armed Forces Avenue route to the Government House.
Policemen on duty ignored several appeals to let the governor pass even when the governor introduced himself. Amaechi and his visitors could not help but take an alternative route.
The police had earlier that day sealed off the secretariat of the New PDP just ten minutes after it was inaugurated. The incident opened another round of disagreements.
Angered by his experience in the hands of the police, Amaechi described the incident as the height of lawlessness and impunity.
The governor explained that Nigerians were now in a regime where the law was no longer supreme and urged the people to resist the assault on their democratic freedoms.
He said, “All of you saw how the former speakers came down from the vehicle to tell them (police) where we were coming from, but the Police resisted.
“It is for Nigerians to see that we no longer have democracy in this country. We are now in a regime where the law is no longer supreme. We must rise up against this impunity against our democracy.”
The governor apologised to his guests for the embarrassment they suffered during their return from the inspection of various projects.
Also, the Chairman of the former Speakers’ Forum and ex-Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong, called on the National Assembly to order the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, over police impunity in Rivers State.
Lalong said that the police might have acted on a directive from the State Police Commissioner, Mbu, maintaining that Mbu takes instructions from the Police IG.
He said, “I don’t think it is really police overzealousness, but the police are controlled by higher authorities. So, if that is what is happening, I think people should collectively call for the resignation of the IG.
“He is the highest ranking police officer. So, we should believe that the Police Commissioner (Mbu) is taking instructions from him.
“For this level of impunity, I think the National Assembly should start calling for the resignation of the IG not even the Commissioner of Police.”
He described the behavior of the police as the highest level of impunity. Lalong also reasoned that if the police could act so unfairly where a governor was concerned, ordinary Nigerians would not be safe.
The former Speaker also said, “I was only watching these things on television and reading in the newspapers but I saw what happened this evening as the highest level of impunity in Nigeria for a governor who has immunity and everything to be blocked by policemen on his way home.
“It means that they are in another way trying to unconstitutionally remove his immunity. So, it is really very unfortunate on the side of the police. We don’t have police protection again. I think the international community should begin to look at this situation. It is no longer about the governor.
“What about the common man, the ordinary Nigerian? I think something must be done in respect to the Nigeria Police that we are funding with taxpayers’ money.”
In response, the State Police Command denied blocking Amaechi, from gaining access to the Government House.
The command in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, described media reports on the matter as incorrect, false, fictitious and wrong in its entirety. It explained that the police only dispersed some people from No. 38, Forces Avenue, about two kilometres to Government House when a breakdown of law and order was imminent.
The statement read: “The attention of the police command has been drawn to stories going the round in the media that the police blocked the road to the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, denying His Excellency, Governor Chibuike Amaechi, access to the Government House.
“The police state categorically that they did not block the road leading to the Government House; neither did they deny Governor Rotimi Amaechi access to the Government House in Port Harcourt or elsewhere.
“On Thursday, September 12, 2013, at about 1100 hour, a group of persons later identified to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party arrived at No. 38, Forces Avenue, GRA, Port Harcourt, directly opposite the Old GRA Police Divisional Headquarters; a distance of about two kilometres from Rivers State Government House and began to hoist the party flag.
“The action of this group was interrupted by the arrival of another group of persons, a situation that almost caused a free-for-all.”
Though the road blockade saga remains the latest in the state’s political crisis, pundits argue that it may not be the last. While efforts are being made by the PDP leadership in Abuja to resolve the disagreement among feuding members, some individuals appear to be happy about the state of affairs, with the hope of benefiting as the 2015 general elections draw nearer.
A public affairs analyst, Mr. Desmond Tekena, told The PUNCH that it would be difficult for the PDP to win elections in Rivers State if the PDP failed to resolve the crisis affecting it.
“When we talk about the political crisis in Rivers State, it is about the PDP and this is the time for the ruling party to solve all the problems facing it. If the crisis is allowed to linger till 2015, then the party should forget about winning election in the state,” Tekena said.
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