Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has weighed in on the crisis rocking Rivers State following the breakdown of the relationship between the incumbent governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his political godfather, Nyesom Wike.
The love between the FCT minister and governor Fubara has gone sour resulting in the defection of 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the subsequent demolition of the Assembly complex by the rivers government after the burning and bombing of the legislative house.
Appearing on Arise TV’s morning show, Inibehe said the crisis is because the former rivers governor has assumed the position of God in the affairs of the oil rich state and decides who gets what and to him (Wike) what Fubara has done amount to rebellion which must be dealt with.
The lawyer also wondered why Wike will support his loyalists to jump ship when he is a strong advocate against defection and has argued in the past that a governor that dumped the PDP.
“Wike is a strong advocate that when when you defect, you must lose your position… he said so to former Zamfara state Governor, so he can not be saying a different thing.
“Politically, what has happened is that Wike is suffering from what i call chronic God complex. He has assumed the position of god and as far as he’s concerned, Fubara has committed political apostasy, having renounced his political god, Wike sees this as suicidal.
“This is a price Nigerians have to pay for having tolerance for dictators. Wike was a governor for 8 years, he didn’t tolerate dissent, didn’t accept contrary views, nobody could talk to him nor make suggestions to him as a Governor.
“Then, after 8 years, you made Fubara the governor irrespective of the means and you still want to determine what happens. …Rivers state can’t be his property.”
On the defected lawmakers, Inibehe said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has a responsibility to conduct elections in those constituency except the court says otherwise.
