Awaji-Inombek Abiante has asked President Bola Tinubu to restore Governor Siminalayi Fubara before the expiration of the six-month emergency rule period.
The member representing Andoni/Opobo/Mkoro Federal Constituency in Rivers State in the House of Representatives stated this in a recent interview.
Abiante also urged the president to engage the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, to mediate with the warring parties in the oil-rich state and find a common ground for peace.
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The lawmaker made this call on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.
Abiante said there are a few gaps even in the actions of the National Assembly, saying provisions were not made for voice vote.
According to him, some of the gaps in the President’s claims include that Fubara did not make efforts to rebuild the demolished chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing the visit of the new sole administrator inspecting the building under construction that Fubara started.
The lawmaker added that the intelligence the President relied upon to declare an emergency rule in Rivers might have been rigged.
Abiante suggested that the peace committee led by Abdulsalami should be called upon to intervene in the state’s political crisis.
“That is to tell us that it is either the intelligence that was relied upon may have been rigged. If in this country we could rig intelligence to the president, are we not in danger.
“I can’t think of any other group of persons higher than that. If he had the opportunity as a military general to elongate his stay in power, he didn’t do it. Let us repopulate the committee with him taking the lead. Let us see if the parties involved would also refuse to subject themselves to the level of discussions.
“It would be wrong to allow this thing to fester; it would even be very wrong to allow it to get to that six months because you will begin to play Nigerians against fellow Nigerians.
“On the streets of Port Harcourt, what is being discussed is that it is the fight to grab the resources of Rivers State. Let us not forget that Rivers State contributes so much to the welfare of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“Mr President should also understand that he also got some votes from Rivers State; it was not just one vote. In politics, one man cannot be in his polling unit and be in the local government area.
“So, no one man can deliver the votes in a state. If we now begin to say there is one Superman and because of that superman, we want to mortgage the people, if the people’s resistance comes, the superman can only cast a single vote and that would be all,” the lawmaker added.
Following the declaration of emergency rule, Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Ngozi Odu and all members of the Rivers Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In the governor’s stead, Tinubu immediately appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, as the state’s sole administrator.
