Presidency defends Tinubu’s intervention in Ondo, Rivers political crisis

The Presidency has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following his intervention in the political crisis in states such as Ondo and Rivers.

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, said the President’s intervention is in the national interest to prevent destabilization and potential national conflicts.

Ngelale added that President Tinubu will continue to intervene in states’ political crisis in the larger interest of Nigeria as a country.

“That has nothing to do with, of course, political development, destabilisation of a particular region or state or subnational entity that could potentially turn into a national conflagration,” he said.

“If the President sees that, he is not going to sit by as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and fold his hands and keep quiet. I think that is what he has done.

“That is to say if you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, your primary objective is to make sure that the Nigerian people are safe.

“It is also that they are able to operate in an environment that is stable and does not place them in any form of insecurity.

“Then, you know that if a political crisis is devolving into something that is generating manmade insecurity, then the President needs to step in and he took that wise decision to step in.”

Tinubu late last month waded into the long political feud between factions loyal to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa in Ondo State.

Ngelale on November 25 disclosed that the warring sides agreed to sheath their swords and reunite during a meeting with the President which lasted for more than six hours at the State House, Abuja.

The Presidential spokesman disclosed that Tinubu advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace and elicited commitments to that effect.

After the resolution, Akeredolu who transferred power to Aiyedatiwa remained governor while the latter is deupty but acting as governor. Members of the State Executive Council and the leadership of the state House of Assembly have since continued their respective duties.

Calm was also restored in Rivers State earlier this month after President Tinubu waded into the political crisis between the embattled governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged godfather who is also the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Following the intervention of Tinubu, critical stakeholders in the political crisis rocking Rivers State agreed to resolve the weeks-long conflict.

The President, according to a resolution, directed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara and his team as regards the political crisis be withdrawn immediately.

Also, Tinubu also gave a directive that all the impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.