Rivers crisis: Clark asks PDP, APC chairmen to caution Wike

Elder statesman and national leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdulahi Ganduje, to dissociate themselves from the alleged attempt by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to bring down the government of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Clark made the call in a letter dated May 20, 2024 and addressed to both party chairmen.

The letter was made available to our correspondent on Monday

According to him, the letter was in the interest of peace and stability in the country, adding that the support given to Wike by both men resulted in the attempt to topple the Fubara-led administration.

“I am therefore appealing to you, in the interest of peace and stability in Nigeria to disassociate yourselves from plan by Wike for no just cause to bring down the government of his successor, Governor Fubara.

“I strongly advise both of you to retrace your steps and take charge of your political parties in Rivers State and not leave it for Wike who is neither PDP nor APC.

“The support given to Nyesom Wike by both party’s chairmen has made him courageous enough to intimidate and anger the Rivers State Governor and government and this is seen as an act to overthrow the duly elected Governor, which is criminal”, the letter read.

He faulted the Chairman of the APC for relating with the Caretaker Committee in the state, whom he alleged Wike appointed under the former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, after the legitimate Chairman, Emeka Beke, was suspended.

“One may be tempted to ask the National Chairman of the APC why he chose to deal with a caretaker committee of APC which the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, had earlier presented the committee to him in the APC secretariat in Abuja, before constituting it as a caretaker committee.

“But curiously, you now deal with a caretaker committee instead of the elected Chairman. I hope you are aware of the court action filed against you and APC by the elected Chairman of APC in Rivers State, Emeka Beke. The old APC members by law are the APC leaders because they were never removed before the illegal caretaker committee was imposed on Rivers State, who are loyalists to Wike.”

The Ijaw leader similarly questioned the PDP Chairman’s knowledge of the FCT Minister’s anti-party activities, by seeking court injunctions against certain party chieftains, to prevent them from attending the National Executive Council meeting of April 18, 2024.

“Ambassador Damagum cannot honestly claim to be unaware of the grave anti-party activities being executed by Wike when he (Wike) secretly took court injunction against founding and senior members of PDP and senior officials from Rivers State like the former National Chairman of PDP Prince Uche Secondus, His Excellency Celestine Omehia, former Governor of Rivers State, Austin Okpara who was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Abuja, Dr Abiye Sekibo, former Minister of Transportation, Sen Lee Maeba, etc to prevent them from attending the PDP NEC meeting of 18th April 2024.”

Clark therefore asked the party chairmen to caution Wike and to withdraw from what he described as the “madness of politics” of Rivers State while alleging that both men were equally involved in the crisis.

“As a patriotic old statesman, I strongly believe that I should address this letter to you to call to order FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike because he is dancing naked in the open market in the politics of madness in Rivers State with one leg each in the two parties.

“I know both of you are fully aware of and involved in the political crisis in Rivers State, which is caused by Wike, who is controlling the two parties in Rivers State, particularly the PDP. I strongly advise both of you to withdraw from the madness of politics of Rivers State to avoid the dangerous crisis facing Rivers State, one of the most important states producing the resources used to sustain the economy of this country,” he added.