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Wike-Fubara Crisis - Wike Has No Hand In Rivers' Political Crisis - AGF
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May 19, 2025
Wike-Fubara Crisis - Wike Has No Hand In Rivers' Political Crisis - AGF https://osazuwaakonedo.news/wike-fubara-crisis-wike-has-no-hand-in-rivers-political-crisis-agf/19/03/2025/ #Breaking News #Fagbemi #Fubara #Rivers #Tinubu #Wike ©March 19th, 2025 ®March 19, 2025 6:28 pm President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aide, Nyesom Wike who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and the immediate past Governor of Rivers State that is widely believed to be the apparent root cause of the political crisis in the state – who, shortly after the swearing-in of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Wike helped to the seat of power, was accused by the sitting Governor, Siminalayi Fubara of trying to use the State House of Assembly to frustrate and impeach him from office, simply because, he, Fubara refused to accept certain terms and conditions they both had in private, which, till now, both refused to tell the public the apparent personal political misunderstandings that made the Governor, Fubara to resort to self defence by thus applying some measures within his powers as the Governor to frustrate and stop his impeachment from the probably instigated Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers whose majority of them, up to 27 members are seemly loyal to the FCT Minister, who – Wike, a few days ago, was the person that announced through the media to the general public that if an Ijaw son, Siminalayi Fubara is impeached, nothing would happened, a statement he made, suggesting he may have conspired with the lawmakers to impeach the governor; because by his statements during the press conference, he was probably already doing damage control even when the House of Assembly has not served the governor – an impeachment notice, but, in the face of the foregoing facts, the Nigeria Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi at a press briefing a few hours ago at the State House in Abuja, exonerated the FCT MInister and said categorically that the FCT Minister has no hand in the political crisis that has engulfed the oil rich Rivers State, leading to militants bombing crude oil pipelines to destroy Nigeria economy probably as a way of protesting against the Federal Government seemly one sided style of handling misunderstandings in the state. e #OsazuwaAkonedo
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0:00
president Bola Ahmed tanu Aid Nim YK who
0:03
is the Minister of the federal capital
0:06
territory fct and the immediate past
0:08
Governor of river state that is widely
0:10
believed to be the apparent root cause
0:12
of the political crisis in the state who
0:16
shortly after the swearing in of
0:17
Governor simai fabara YK helped to the
0:20
seat of power was accused by the sitting
0:22
Governor Sim fabara of trying to use the
0:26
State House of Assembly to frustrate and
0:28
impeach him from office simply because
0:31
he fabara refused to accept certain
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terms and conditions they both had in
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private which till now both refused to
0:39
tell the public the apparent personal
0:41
political misunderstandings that made
0:43
the governor fabara to resort to
0:45
self-defense by thus applying some
0:47
measures within his powers as the
0:48
governor to frustrate and stop his
0:50
impeachment from the probably instigated
0:53
Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers
0:55
whose majority of them up to 27 members
0:58
are seemly loyal to the fct minister who
1:02
YK a few days ago was the person that
1:05
announced through the media to the
1:07
general public that if anij your son
1:09
Simon fabara is impeached nothing would
1:12
happened a statement he made suggesting
1:14
he may have conspired with the lawmakers
1:16
to impeach the governor because by his
1:19
statements during the press conference
1:21
he was probably already doing damage
1:23
control even when the House of Assembly
1:25
has not served the governor an
1:27
impeachment notice but in the the face
1:30
of the forging facts the Nigeria
1:32
Minister of Justice and the Attorney
1:34
General of the Federation Latif fagbemi
1:37
at a press briefing a few hours ago at
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the State House in Abuja exonerated the
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fct minister and said categorically that
1:44
the fct minister has no hand in the
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political crisis that has engulfed the
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oil Rich Rivers State leading to
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militants bombing crude oil pipelines to
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destroy Nigeria economy probably as a
1:56
way of protesting against the federal
1:58
government seemly once decided style of
2:00
handling misunderstandings in the state
2:03
detailed statements of the Minister of
2:05
Justice and the Attorney General of the
2:07
Federation as transcribed and reported
2:10
by channels television are presented
2:12
verbatim below at a media chat with
2:15
State House correspondent in Abuja the
2:18
agf said president Bola tanbu acted
2:20
timely with his proclamation of
2:22
emergency rule in River State the
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suspension of the governor and the
2:26
appointment of a soul Administration
2:28
vice admiral heas retired fagbemi said
2:33
fabara demolished the State House of
2:35
Assembly complex to avoid being
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impeached and refused to rebuild it more
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than one year later the Justice Minister
2:41
said fabara failed to implement the
2:44
February 28th 2025 ruling of the Supreme
2:47
Court and did not caution militants who
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had threatened to blow pipelines in the
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state there was not a word dissuading
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the militant who issued the threats he
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said he said the situation could be
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allowed to continue as the critical
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economic Lifeline of the nation was
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criminally touched fagbemi also said the
3:06
emergency rule Declaration was some sort
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of Saving Grace for fabara who has been
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served impeachment notice if that
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impeachment had been allowed to take its
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full course the governor would have
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entirely lost him completely so in a way
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instead of allowing the impeachment to
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continue and which in the end would have
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seen both the governor and the Deputy
3:27
Governor out of office for the entirety
3:29
of their 4-year term with the remainder
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of what they have a balance of 2 years
3:34
and 2 months the agf said fagbemi said
3:38
the minister of the federal capital
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territory fct n YK did not feature in
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the matter that was decided by the
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Supreme Court and should not be
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sentimentally brought into it white the
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immediate past Governor of river state
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has been locked in a protracted power
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tussle with fabara his estranged former
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political God for about 2 years the Apex
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Court had backed the pro YK assembly led
4:05
by Martin zi wle fagbemi said YK should
4:09
not be brought into the matter as he was
4:11
not responsible for the actions of
4:13
fabara who failed to act in line with
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the Constitutional requirements of
4:17
getting the approval of the state
4:18
legislators in the Affairs of running
4:20
the state he said there are occasions
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when it comes to National issues we have
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to come out plainly and sincerely where
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do you put the minister of the fct in
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this casee was he the one who asked for
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the demolition of the House of Assembly
4:36
was he the one who said the governor
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should not present the budget to the
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House of Assembly was he the one who
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advised the governor not to go through
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the House of Assembly for purposes of
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ratifying the commissioner nominees I
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don't know because if you want to look
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at a case you look at the facts that
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have been presented the Supreme Court
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made these critical findings the fct
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minister did not feature assuming he
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featured he would have featured on the
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side of the legislators but what you
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have here is let everybody go home for
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the first 6 months so I don't see his
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hands here in what we have fagbemi
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advised all those who do not agree with
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the president's move to channel their
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energy to the National Assembly to veto
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the president's decision we have
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reported that two female lawmakers Marie
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eake PDP by Elsa State and blessing
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PDP River State on Wednesday engaged in
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a heated argument almost leading to a
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fight at the National Assembly ahead of
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the plary session scheduled by the
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National Assembly leadership to discuss
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approve or reject the proclamation of
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state of emergency declared on Tuesday
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night by President Bola Ahmed tanbu over
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the apparent personal political crisis
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between the state Governor Sim fabara
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and tanu a n w the fct minister and the
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immediate past Governor of the South
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South State we had reported that the
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former vice president of Nigeria atiu
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Abu bakar and former governor of anambra
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state Peter Obie both of whom were co-c
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contestants as presidential candidates
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in the last presidential election in
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Nigeria have reacted to the state of
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emergency and suspension of elected
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government in River State by President
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Bola Ahmed tanbu with a tiku accusing
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and describing president Bola Ahmed
6:27
tanbu as a vested partisan actor in the
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political turmoil in gulfing Rivers
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State we had reported that the Nigeria
6:34
president Boler Ahmed tanbu in a
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nationwide broadcast on Tuesday evening
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for the first time more than a decade in
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the history of the West Africa country
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declared a state of emergency in Rivers
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State and suspended for initial 6 months
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the governor Simon fabara and his Deputy
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Ino ODU all elected members of the State
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House of Assembly and appointed retired
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vice admiral ioki EAS as administrator
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to work with the existing laws of river
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state with the members of the state
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Judiciary following the apparent
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personal political crisis between the
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rivers State Governor sim a faar and his
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former boss and the immediate past
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governor of the state Nim YK who is
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currently the minister of the federal
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capital territory fct that was seen a
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few days ago in a viral video apparently
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making Carla statements as a government
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official statements capable of
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instigating a particular ethnic group
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against the government wherein the fct
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minister has said thus that is your
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people a minority group in the south
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south and if their son favara is
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impeached nothing would happened after
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the statements YK refused to apologize
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to the Ure people despite public outcry
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and condemnations days after as
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confirmed by President Bola Ahmed tbu
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some militants started destroying crude
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oil pipelines in River State as media
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reports friends and indicated that Pro
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Wick lawmakers may have concluded plans
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to impeach Governor sim a fabara uh the
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questions are more or less related but
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let me start on the note of how we got
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to where we are today how did it all
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start that is about the uh um
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Genesis we all know how we got here
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since
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20023 uh I think towards the end of
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2023 since have not been going on well
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to the extent that the governor took the
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law into his hands and demolished
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brought down the House of Assembly don't
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forget the role of the House of Assembly
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they are the lawmakers they to consider
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budget they to you know pass budget they
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also to be approached in matters of
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appointment of Commissioners for
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ratification and all other things they
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are to do oversight function
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so since that happened things have not
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been the same at all in a community of
9:05
32 you expect that at least 15 or 16
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will be there to do the job the governor
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like I said and it is no longer news uh
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AB three or four of the members
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constituted them to the house of to the
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House of Assembly and give them pereral
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treatment move them to the government
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house to be uh doing legislative
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performing legislative functions these
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situation got to the court there were
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about 10 15 16 cases and at the end of
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the day the Supreme Court came out and
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made very
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profound uh uh um findings of breaches
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of the Constitution mainly against the
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governor you see
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you fall you rise or fall on the basis
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of what you took to court and what the
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decision of the court is on it together
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the court came to the decision that the
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governor had long
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anticipated that he might be
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impeached and because of that he knew
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that the the House of Assembly was a
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critical structure or yes organ to do
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that brought down the House of Assembly
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14 months after that is as at yesterday
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it was 14 months there was no effort St
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to rebuild the House of Assembly the
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government stands on the
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trio the executive the legislature and
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the
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Judiciary made the functioning of
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government to work together with all the
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stakeholders it is not enough for the
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legisl for the EXE to say we spending
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money even the money you want to spend
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must have been appropriated for by the
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House of
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Assembly these are some of the
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findings made and at the end of the day
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the Supreme Court said or came to a
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decision that the behavior of the
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governor was like a
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desport and that as situation was there
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was no government in rivers if there was
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no government in rivers what else are we
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looking
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for I'm so sorry for bringing in this U
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this issue in the Bible they asked Jesus
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Christ are you the Son of God and he
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said yes then other corus what further
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Evidence we do we need from this
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man so the stage is set but no action
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was taken immediately in the expectation
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or Good Sense will prevail the governor
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will create an enabling environment and
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that the House of Assembly too would be
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uh uh reasonable enough to ensure that
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the people of
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rivers actually got a return for their
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voting of both members of the House of
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Assembly and the governor and other
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elected officials to enjoy dividends of
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democracy we are in a democracy together
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so to ensure there were what I will call
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uh uh uh
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telegraphing of the militants I would
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say by the governor and the reason I
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said so was when he he Beck on to them
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that oh you let them know when it was
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time to act to the militants and let us
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say it was wrong made it very did he
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come out to disown them the answer is no
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if and a week after they swung into
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action you see or Witness
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vandalization of oil pipelines don't
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also forget that before now that is when
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these government came into uh uh uh
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office Nigeria was producing about
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900,000 uh lers of oil that will bring a
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day peace with the efforts and all the
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uh uh um um Ingenuity that the president
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had he ensured that the C Rose to about
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1,000
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1 bar per day that's about 45 Something
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increase Governors were smiling home at
13:45
the end of the month with about 60%
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increase in their take home to their
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various Governors then somebody Rose or
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encouraged or became inactive when he
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was supposed to act there was not award
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dissuading the threat the militants who
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issued this threat in today's Nigeria
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maybe with the efforts of the Mr
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President a
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Greek will come in but today we still
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rely largely on oil for anyone to
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touch these uh uh issue is that of
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um this um
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I think for pipelines it's not only the
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enemy of rivers is the enemy of
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Nigeria all Nigerians all the 36 states
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share in what comes in
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from the production of this oil and I
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believe that the decision of Mr
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President is anchored on the decision
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of the Court Supreme Court that
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cumstances the second one is the
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inability of those involved both the
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House of Assembly and the Governor from
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being able to you know create an
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enabling environment for the people of
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rivers to enjoy the dividends of
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democracy then the thought series is
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about the uh uh the the the security
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situation in
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that if he had
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waited maybe a day longer only God knows
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what would have um followed and as a
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result of that he came out to say I am
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not only the head of state I'm Commander
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in Chief of the Armed Forces declared a
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state of emergency the first question is
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Hy decision when should
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he I will ask rather RoR
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when do you think should have come when
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everything has
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collapsed the law en visages that you
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come in when there is
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present imminent
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danger
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to uh the security of lives and property
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people are killing themselves it's no
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longer news it's not a question of
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making up the story we all read papers
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every day those who live there are
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living in fears
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n there certainly cuman the need to come
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in we about two uh years into the
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administration of in the state if he
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didn't come in now when do you think he
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should come in is it when everything has
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been destroyed main I don't think so I
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think the president has acted activities
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to take place he has given opportunity
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to all the people involved the parties
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involved to make amend then he he had
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assembled them he had tried to
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mediate some said he had no
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constitutional power after agreeing and
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what they agreed to at the meeting
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security and stability were not
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implemented the people and government of
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state and to answer your question I
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don't think that the president let me
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say it's not a question of I don't think
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I am certain that the president has
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acted timelessly after giving them
17:31
Main and as Commander in Chief of the
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Armed
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Forces it was a tough decision for him
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to to make he doesn't present anybody
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with joy to
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disrupt the flow of democracy or
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practice of it but the Constitution
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itself envisages that there may be this
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type of situation and that is why it is
17:55
provided in section 305 of the
17:57
Constitution that extraordinary
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situations might arise this is one of
18:03
such extraordinary situations the second
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one is about oh removing the governor
18:09
removing the Deputy Governor you see you
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decide each case on its own peculiar
18:14
facts and circumstances who are the
18:16
people involved who are the parties
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involved in this
18:20
Saga they are the governor members of
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the House of Assembly in state that so
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who else should have been affected
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I've heard this funny argument I'm sorry
18:31
for saying it is funny because it
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doesn't make any sense to me oh that the
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the President should have just gone
18:37
there to secure the pipelines and then
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come back when some people are
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there encouraging vandals to come in
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state and Nigeria at large the
18:49
circumstances that led to the action of
18:51
the president is like you know the what
18:56
happened is the effect of a fundament
18:59
CA and you cannot be treating the ca the
19:02
effect in order to cure the cause what
19:05
was the
19:06
cause the governor and members of the
19:09
House of Assembly so you don't try to uh
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uh
19:14
um you have to behave responsibly and
19:17
you must have the God if it happens
19:21
again I will encourage Mr President to
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do the same maybe this time with even
19:27
greater Vigor and vitality
19:29
so the question
19:31
of separating or treating or giving
19:34
preferential treatment to anybody does
19:36
not arise you give PR preferential
19:39
treatment to anybody you are giving
19:40
preferential treatment to
19:44
IGM let call is paid is paid this is
19:47
where I believe that we should put up
19:51
our patriotism cap it shouldn't be about
19:55
individual it should not be about
19:57
anybody it should be about the entity
20:00
called Nigeria but in this case River
20:03
State Riv
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state it is Riv turn today it can be
20:08
anybody's turn tomorrow let the signal
20:10
be clearly signed for those who want to
20:14
who want to make the practice of
20:15
democracy and enjoyment of De of
20:18
democracy a mirage to
20:21
twice I answer the question by saying I
20:25
return the resounding no to
20:29
that
20:30
the Govern
20:33
and
20:34
Main or the members of the House of
20:37
Assembly they were all in
20:40
it then the other one is about
20:42
compromise and replacement it appears
20:45
so don't forget I think yesterday there
20:48
was a notice of impeachment from the
20:50
House of Assembly if that impeachment
20:52
had been um allowed to take its full
20:57
cause then the governor would have lost
21:00
entirely and completely so in a way if
21:03
you say it's a compromise I will agree
21:06
that instead of allowing the allowing
21:08
the uh uh
21:10
um impeachment
21:13
process to
21:15
continue and which in the end would have
21:17
seen both the governor and the Deputy
21:20
Governor out of office and mean out for
21:22
the entirety of the fouryear term with
21:26
the remainder of what it uh we have that
21:29
is the we have one month one year I
21:32
think about 9 month T that I have to
21:36
work together living a is it a balance
21:39
two
21:42
years
21:44
thank bringing you the news in a more
21:48
Digital Way
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