•Rufus Ada George and Nyesom Wike
Former Governor of Rivers State, Rufus Ada George, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of orchestrating the ongoing political crisis in the state, including the imposition of a state of emergency and the controversial appointment of sole administrators in all 23 local government areas.
Ada George, who served as governor of Rivers State from 1992 to 1993 and currently chairs the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, made the claims during a media briefing following the latest political developments in the state, reports Channels TV.
He said, “The FCT Minister is the architect of all these things,” accusing him of fanning the flames of instability after failing to impose his political agenda on the state’s leadership.
“He could set ablaze states where the governors did not share his views,” he said. “And that is exactly what I think he is trying to do in Rivers State. Enough is enough. We will not allow him to set Rivers State ablaze anymore.”
The elder statesman said the minister was in the state days before the appointments were announced.
“He was reported to have been here on the 7th, Monday evening, traversing the whole place, visiting the military administrator. Then following that, this announcement came through.”
He strongly condemned the appointments, describing them as unconstitutional and an assault on democratic governance.
“The appointment of sole administrators is unconstitutional,” he said. “There are laid down legal processes for constituting local government leadership. This action undermines those principles.”
While insisting that the forum will continue to seek peaceful solutions, Ada George warned that Rivers people would not fold their arms in the face of provocation.
“We cannot go physical… but we will resist in any form that will attempt to disrupt or disorganise this state.”
Despite the tension, the forum expressed hope that the FCT Minister would work with stakeholders to calm tensions and restore dialogue.
“We hope he would consult with stakeholders for peacebuilding, to calm tensions, and to resolve the issues between the two parties — not escalate them,” he said.
Quoting Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ada George appealed for calm: “Surulere, Surulere”—(be patient, be silent). “And I am going to borrow the words of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to say Surulere, Surulere to all those who are involved in these activities.”
He also revealed that the Rivers Elders Forum had written to both Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike at the onset of the crisis, but received no response.
“We did communicate in writing to both the warring parties… but unfortunately, we didn’t have the courtesy of receiving a reply from any of them.”
The forum said it remains committed to lawful resolution.
“We will go to court where necessary. We have cases in court at the moment, and we will continue,” Ada George affirmed.
