Hundreds of passionate Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters in Rivers State have taken to the streets in protest against President Bola Tinubu’s recent intervention in the state’s political turmoil.
The demonstrators, who gathered at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday, vehemently rejected Tinubu’s proposed peace resolutions, branding them as unjust and dictatorial.
The protesters donned in white T-shirts adorned with the PDP logo, passionately voiced their dissent through solidarity songs and waving party flags.
Their fervent demonstration was in solidarity with the state governor, Siminilayi Fubara, whose political feud with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, has been a focal point of the ongoing crisis.
The genesis of the political unrest dates back to October 29-30 when the State House of Assembly’s hallowed chamber was set ablaze amid alleged attempts to impeach Governor Fubara.
The ensuing chaos led to the emergence of two factional speakers, further exacerbating the already tense situation.
President Tinubu’s intervention, reported on December 18, mandated the factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, to recognize the defection of 27 members of the Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The closed-door meeting, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, saw the participation of key figures, including Governor Fubara, former governors Peter Odili and Nyesom Wike, and other stakeholders.
Despite the resolution’s formalization through signatures, the backlash has been significant. Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark labelled Tinubu’s intervention as “baffling, appalling, and unacceptable,” denouncing the resolutions as “sacrilegious.”
The disapproval extends beyond Clark, with students, youths, civil society organizations, and labour unions converging at the Government House in Port Harcourt to express their rejection of the proposed peace resolutions.
As Rivers State remains ensnared in a political quagmire, the echoes of dissent grow louder, challenging the efficacy of external interventions in resolving deeply rooted political disputes.
