PRESS RELEASE
The Chairman and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State would wish to once again, request the intervention of Rivers people, particularly, the peace-loving citizens of our dear state to ask Gov Fubara and his PDP conduct the local government election and free the state from the brewing disagreement with the Rivers State House of Assembly on the conduct of the Local Government Election, as the tenure of the current occupiers would be ending at about the 17th of June, 2024 after three(3) years.
Recall that Gov Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly have been in a running battle over the conduct of the Local Government Election. This is part of the reasons for the protracted disagreement between the executive and the legislative arm of the government which culminated in the destruction of the state Assembly Complex to prevent the House from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities. Furthermore, this issue was part of the agreement reached through the Presidential Proclamation for Peace in Rivers State, through a peace process brokered by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This has led the State House of Assembly to make/amend laws to avoid vacuum which in retaliation led to Gov Fubara withholding assent and the consequent override/vetoing the assent. This back and forth have continued unabated and has the potential of throwing the state into a deeper crises of confidence with the ultimate breakdown of law and order.
The conduct of the local government election is an executive responsibility with legislative guidance(election laws/guidelines). The arms of government MUST cooperate to deliver on this and other responsibilities and no arm should aim at intimidating the other, the reason for the Theory of Separation of Powers.
To avoid heating up the political temperature, Gov Fubara is hereby requested to as quickly as possible direct the necessary, Commission(RSIEC), Department, Agency to commence the processes for the conduct of the local government election in the state.
This singular action will vitiate the amendments/Overrides on the Governor’s assent which was done pursuant to avert vacuum, should the executive fail to conduct the election.
The proposed Gov Fubara’s action will achieve the following results:-
1. engage political parties and members in more productive activities to deepen democratic governance at the grassroots level.
2. settle the disagreement between the Executive and the Legislative arm of the government on the conduct of the local government election.
3. guarantee a more peace working relationship amd fasten services delivery
4. Fasten development at the state and local levels
5. enhance security of lives and property, a condition for attracting investments etc
As a party, we understand the challenges confronting the good people of the state occassioned by the disharmony and the concomitant lack of development at the state.
It is against this backdrop we call on Gov Fubara to note that the buck stops on his table and that we shall continue to hold him accountable for the retardation of development as a result of this intractable disagreement.
Thank you all
Signed
Chibike Ikenga
For and on behalf of the Caretaker Committee, APC, Rivers State
23rd April, 2024
