From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress State Assembly Forum (ASAF), has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and return peace among the warring faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Recall that about 27 members of the state assembly, who are said to be loyal to the former governor and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had on Monday, defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Also following a court order, which barred the defected members from assessing the assembly complex, the Rivers state government on Wednesday, embarked on the demolition of the complex, ahead of a planned rebuilding following an inferno that destroyed some part last month
Expressing deep concerns over the development in the state, ASAF called on president Tinubu to call the principal actors in the crisis to order and return peace in the state
ASAF is the forum of all the elected and serving members of the state Houses of Assembly, elected under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the country
The forum in a statement yesterday at the end of its end of year Consultative engagement meeting held in Kaduna State, noted that president Tinubu needed an absolute peace in Rivers State to actualise his Renewed Hope agenda, adding that the president has in no small appreciated his acceptance by the people of Rivers State who voted for him during the last presidential election
Its Director General, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, emphasised that the Rivers state assembly crisis must not be allowed to fester, warning that such ugly development may degenerate into a state of anarchy which could extend to others states of the federal, and as well, deal a heavy blow to the nation’s democracy, if not immediately checked
Dagogo noted further that Rivers state is very important in the calculations of the All Progressives Congress ahead of further electoral victories, even as he emphasised that a divided and crisis ridden Rivers would not be of any advantage to the fortunes of the APC
“This is the time for the president to intervene and call all the actors in the crisis in Rivers state to order. The people of Rivers accepted president Tinubu and voted massively for him during the last election. I strongly believe that president Tinubu who has also appreciated the gesture should not allow Rivers to go in flames just because of selfish interest of the gladiators
“Please Mr president, the people of Rivers state need your fatherly intervention at this moment that people are gradually feeling the positive impact of your renewed hope message. Don’t allow Rivers to boil the way it’s going because it is a very important state in the actualisation of the delivery of your campaign promise,” he said.