*President has been good to PDP, says Bauchi Gov
By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday at the Aso Rock Villa intervened to reconcile Rivers State Governor, Simi Fubara, and his estranged predecessor and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, both of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fubara and Wike, who had been embroiled in battle of political wits over control of the State, however, met and exchanged pleasantries at the State House, Abuja where they both attended the meeting of the Nigeria Police Council, which is chaired by the President.
The 36 State Governors, Minister of the FCT, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) are also members of the Council.
The political atmosphere in Port Harcourt had suddenly turned chaotic on Monday when the State House of Assembly, split between the governor and his predecessor, with both sides making counter moves.
While the Wike group sacked the Majority Leader of the House, Edison Ehie and later served a notice of impeachment on Governor Fubara, the Governor’s loyalists in the House in turn sacked the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, and replaced him with Ehie as new Speaker.
Leaders of thought in Rivers State across ethnic and political divides then called on President Tinubu to intervene in the crisis in order to forestall a total breakdown of law and order in the State.
After the Police Council meeting, Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, informed State House correspondents the President called the two warring politicians aside to reconcile them.
Mohammed said that in he aftermath, tension will be doused in Rivers State and peace will reign.
He was also full of praises for Tinubu, despite being of the All Progress Congress (APC), had been magnanimous to his (Mohammed) party, the PDP.
Mohammed said the President had the powers to oppress the PDP but had been friendly enough in many instances, just like his intervention in the face-off between Fubara and Wike.
According to the Governor: “We had a closed session, you will recall, members of the press, where a very serious national issue was discussed that has security implication. That is the problem emerging in Rivers. Mr President, in his usual leadership position, intervened and it would appear there will be peace I that respect.
“On that topic, the governors of the PDP, on their behalf I spoke and extolled the leadership qualities of the President, congratulated him, expressing appreciation that all the PDP governors who had gone through the tribunals have emerged victorious. We know that his leadership.
“There was professionalism in the conduct, the way and manner the judiciary is working under his leadership and he has shown that he’s a President for everybody; a President for PDP, a President for APC.
“By intervening today and bringing succor and solace to the people of Rivers and Nigeria and by making sure that he did not use his big hammer and biro to extricate and emasculate us as opposition.
“We find this to be very good and going forward, we pledge that we’re going to work with him to bring good governance to the people of Nigeria.”
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