Pat Utomi, a political economy professor, has criticised Rivers State’s declaration of a state of emergency and questioned why Edo State did not follow suit when previous governor Godwin Obaseki faced similar political difficulties. He maintained that Obaseki’s actions during his impasse with Edo’s political forces were identical to those of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
He stated that the crisis in Rivers is a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, and should not justify disrupting governance. He further dismissed the influence of political “fathers” and “godfathers,” emphasizing that such roles have no basis in the Nigerian Constitution.
He said in an interview with Channels TV, “Obaseki and Edo State faced very similar circumstances. There is nothing that the chap in Port Harcourt has done that Godwin Obaseki did not do. And so why was a state of emergency not declared in Edo State?” Look, let’s be fair. This is supposed to be a case of two fighting. Who are these two fighting? Let’s name them. And over what are they fighting? And why do a whole people have to bear the brunt of these outsized egos who are damaging the peace of all for whatever it is they claim they are fighting, which is not in our constitution? We don’t know anything about fathers or godfathers in our constitution.”.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
