The Simplicity Movement feels the need to address a matter of grave concern that has the potential to destabilize the progress and peace we have all worked so hard to achieve in Rivers State.
It has come to our attention that there are alleged moves by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, to undermine the leadership of our Governor, Siminialayi Fubara. We condemn these actions and send a clear message that such attempts are unacceptable to the people of Rivers State.
We wish to unequivocally state that any plot to remove Governor Fubara is not just an attack on him as an individual, but an attack on the will of the people of Rivers State. The recent accusations brought forward by opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives indicate a calculated attempt to weaken the PDP from within by collaborating with some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
These actions, if true, represent a betrayal of the trust reposed in the PDP leadership by millions of Nigerians who look to the party to provide purposeful opposition to the government of the day, whose policies seem out of sync with the well-being of the generality of Nigerians.
We cannot stand idly by while a few individuals, driven by personal ambitions, attempt to derail the progress and development of our state. Governor Fubara was elected by the people of Rivers State to serve, bring about positive change, and deliver the dividends of good governance. His mandate is sacred, and any attempt to subvert it is an affront to democracy itself.
We are particularly troubled by reports that Damagum and Anyanwu are allegedly opposing the efforts of the PDP’s National Legal Adviser, who is working to ensure that the sacked pro-Wike 27 lawmakers who defected to the APC do not undermine the legal standing of the PDP in a high-profile court case. The Rivers State High Court has already issued an ex parte order restraining these lawmakers from interacting with key state officials, and any move to weaken this legal standing is a direct threat to the stability of our state.
We must also address the actions of the immediate past Governor, Nyesom Wike, who is clearly seen as the one spearheading these sinister moves to oust Governor Fubara after losing his grip on the governor. There is no gainsaying that Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended, guarantees a maximum tenure of eight years in office for a state governor. Any attempt to extend one’s influence beyond this provision is not only unconstitutional but also an insult to the democratic process.
The Simplicity Movement, and indeed the people of Rivers State, will not stand for any actions that seek to undermine our governor or the progress we have made as a people. If Minister Wike wanted to extend his tenure beyond eight years during his time as governor, he had ample opportunity to amend the constitution. But any attempt now to continue ruling the state by proxy is not only impractical but will also be met with fierce resistance.
We call on all those involved in fomenting trouble in the state to put aside their personal interests and consider the greater good of our state. Rivers State is on a path of growth and development, and we will not allow anyone to derail us from this path.
Furthermore, we urge the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), who recently visited Governor Fubara, not merely to stop at visiting the governor. The BoT should take concrete steps to reaffirm Governor Fubara’s rightful place as the leader of the PDP in Rivers State and restore confidence in the party as the leading opposition in Nigeria. This is critical in maintaining the unity and strength of the party in the face of these challenges. The BoT should also use its position as the conscience of the Party to ensure that the National Working Committee sanctions the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for their unholy alliance with Wike and his unlawful scribes and Pharisees, who are bent on causing political Armageddon in Rivers State. It has become glaringly obvious from his recent press parley that the former governor does not seem to want to back down from his power-lust quest to subjugate the PDP and, by implication, dictate who becomes what in the Party and in Rivers State, particularly. This should not be allowed to happen if the PDP will still remain a viable opposition and platform for democratic intercourse.
We are also concerned about the indifferent posture and harrowing silence of President Bola Tinubu on the excesses of his minister, Nyesom Wike, whose actions have continued to undermine the peace and progress of the state. We call on the president to, as a matter of urgency, call the FCT Minister to order and advise him to focus on his assigned responsibilities in FCT Abuja. His continued distractions towards Governor Fubara have far-reaching implications on the economic contributions of Rivers State to the country, as no meaningful economic activity can thrive in a chaotic atmosphere. Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, has shown an unparalleled capacity to govern Rivers State with notable achievements in the past few months he has truly held sway as an independent governor of Rivers State. From robust and unmatched infrastructural development in both urban and rural areas across the three Senatorial Districts of the State, overhauling our ailing healthcare system, Economic Development Programmes which ranged from policymaking to funding for Businesses in the state, Workers' Welfare. Jobs are being Created and lost jobs recovered through the revitalization of moribund state-owned enterprises such as the Rivers State Transport Company, Rivers State Cassava Processing Plant etc.
But moreso, Rivers people are bound to reap much more landmark development under Sir Siminalayi Fubara in a more stable political atmosphere devoid of these unwarranted distractions being masterminded by the FCT Minister.
In conclusion, let us be clear: Rivers State belongs to the people, and the people have chosen Governor Siminialayi Fubara to lead them. Any attempt to remove him from office is an attempt to silence the voice of the people, and this we cannot and will not allow. We, the people of Rivers State, will rise to the occasion when real signs of such an attempt are made.
Thank you.
Amb. I.E Kelly Rufus FCILG
Spokesperson: SIMPLICITY MOVEMENT
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