The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has condemned tactics employed by former River State Governor Nyesom Wike and his loyalists in handling the political crisis in the state, describing it as a “failed coup attempts by the camp loyal to the FCT Minister and a former Governor of the state”.
A statement released Wednesday by CUPP National Spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, declared that “It is unfortunate that those fomenting violent crisis in Rivers State do not realize how dangerous it is to the current democratic dispensation because if the crisis comes to a head, it has the potential to disrupt the current Republic and reverse the country’s democratic gains of almost three decades.”
CUPP noted alleged coup attempts against the Governor, warning that “The desperation to impeach Governor Fubara has failed so far and will continue to fail because it is not only antidemocratic, but also against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the good people of Rivers State who have remained unequivocal in their support for Governor Similayi Fubara from day one of his administration.
“The Rivers people across the state, irrespective of ethno-religious and political affiliations have remained solidly behind Governor Fubara in collective solidarity to defend the mandate they freely gave to him as the state’s executive Governor in 2023.
“The Wike camp also doesn’t want the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on the state’s local government as they are plotting against the local government areas’ election, budget presentation. Their tactic is to block the presentation of the appropriation Bill so that the state Governor will not have access to resources to conduct elections in the Local Government Areas of the state.
“We wish to alert Nigerians and the international community to the fact that those orchestrating the Rivers State crisis on the prompting of the FCT minister and other antidemocratic elements constitute a significant danger to the current democratic dispensation by their disruptive extra-constitutional activities aimed at throwing the state into the darkness of unmitigated crisis that may spread across the country and consume our democracy.
“We call on the international community and all well-meaning Nigerians to caution these enemies of democracy and let Rivers State be at peace. They are seriously frustrated that all their shenanigans to impeach the Governor have failed woefully so far and will continue to fail.
“Therefore, they want to cripple the state financially by not passing the appropriation Bill into law and allow the state government access to funds critical to the development of the state and conduct election into the LGAs.
“Their actions are very injurious to the interests of Rivers State and its people. In general terms, their antidemocratic shenanigans are injurious to the democratic stability of Nigeria. Wike and his cabal of political jobbers must let Rivers State breathe as they have already pushed the Rivers people to their utmost limit.”
