Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has weighed in on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reaction to the violence that followed the conduct of Local Government (LG) poll in the State.
Violence did break out in no less than three Local Government areas on Monday following Saturday’s poll.
Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua council premises were set ablaze by thugs. Gunshots were also fired in Ahoada East to resist newly elected council officials.
The tension followed the withdrawal of the police officers securing the 23 council secretariats.
Reacting, Tinubu, in a statement via his presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, ordered the police to secure the secretariats.
Tinubu also urged Governor Siminalayi Fubara, political leaders and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law.
Fubara reacted saying he was concerned Tinubu only mentioned his name in his statement.
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According to him, he does not have a hand in the State’s crisis.
He said: “I do not have any issue with it (Tinubu’s intervention) but I am a bit concerned when my name was only mentioned.
“The issue is very simple. It’s as simple as ABC, everyone in Nigeria, everyone in Rivers State knows where this issue is coming from. It’s not rocket science. We know what the issue is and the issue is not Fubara, it is not.
“I believe strongly that with the recent intervention of the Inspector General of Police, maybe we will have a breathing space.
“Maybe as a result of him pulling his men out of those secretariats might be one of the reasons they (hoodlums) took advantage of the situation but I will appeal that while the men are there, the elected officers should have the opportunity to do their work, at least, let them provide security for them, which was even what I was thinking of.
“I was never of the opinion that the police should pull out completely. No. When they said they were moving out, it was what allowed these miscreants to take advantage of the secretariats to destroy them.”
