The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, dismissing claims that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, influenced the decision.
Fagbemi, who addressed journalists at the State House on Wednesday after meeting with President Tinubu, stated that the President acted promptly to address the political crisis in Rivers State. He emphasized that Wike was not responsible for the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, which sparked widespread controversy.
“I think the President has acted timeously. He has given opportunity to all the parties involved to make amends. Before then, he had assembled them, he had tried to mediate,” Fagbemi said.
Responding to allegations that Wike was favored in the decision, the AGF questioned, “Was Wike the one that asked the State Assembly to be demolished? I don’t see the hand of the Minister of the FCT in what happened.”
Fagbemi also urged those dissatisfied with the President’s decision to seek redress through the National Assembly. He expressed confidence in the legislative process, stating, “If the National Assembly feels what the President did was not okay, he will not have two-thirds from the National Assembly. We are expecting that within 48 hours something will come out.”
The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State follows weeks of political tension, including the demolition of the State Assembly complex and a deepening rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
President Tinubu’s intervention has been met with mixed reactions, with some stakeholders calling for dialogue and others demanding stricter measures to restore order in the oil-rich state.
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