Olayiwola Matthew
Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Fagbemi said the declaration prevented governance collapse in the oil-rich state.
Tinubu had also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, Ngozi Odu, the deputy governor; and all members of the Rivers house of assembly.
The president had premised his action on the vandalisation of oil pipelines hours before.
“The president has acted timeously. He has given opportunity to all the parties involved to make amends. Before then, he had tried to mediate,” Fagbemi said.
Responding to questions on why Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), had not been punished as well for his alleged role in the crisis, Fagbemi said the supreme court ruling on the impasse did not implicate Wike.
“Was Wike the one who asked for the demolition of the house of assembly? Was he the one who said the governor should not present his budget to the house of assembly?” he asked.
“Was he the one who advised the governor not to go through the house of assembly for purposes of ratifying the commissioner nominees? I don’t know.
“Because if you want to look at a case, you look at the facts that have been presented. The supreme court made these critical findings. FCT minister did not feature.
“Whatever the situation, assuming he featured, he would have featured, maybe on the side of the legislators. Yes, the legislators.
“But what you have here is let everybody go home for the first six months. So, I don’t see his hand here.”