Rivers PDP crisis getting out of hands, says George
By Emmanuel Oladesu
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said that the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis is getting out of hand.
He called on elders and other stakeholders to immediately intervene in the conflict “before it becomes a national conflagration.”
Speaking in Lagos, George also warned President Bola Tinubu not to treat with levity the threat by some members of the House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The party elder described oil-bearing Rivers as one of the strongholds of the PDP, insisting that the state belongs to the PDP, adding that nobody should sit on the fence and pretend as if everything is okay.
Alluding to Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, George said the PDP lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have automatically lost their seats “and they are in no position to threaten Governor Fubara. So, their plot to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor is already in vain.
He said: “Rivers people belong to PDP. Those threatening to impeach the governor are being remote-controlled by some forces. This must stop because if Rivers is set on fire today, that may end this democracy.
“We should remember ‘Operation Wetie’ which started in the defunct Western Region and eventually consumed the nation and ended the First Republic in 1966.
“All the actors in this crisis in Rivers should avoid actions likely to cause breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in our country.”
George added: “Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of our party should be the elders in the room, act swiftly and nip this crisis in the bud before it consumes everybody.
