Chisom Gbali, former Commissioner for Youth under the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has claimed there are ongoing efforts to extend the emergency rule currently in place in Rivers State.
Speaking during an interview on AriseTV, Gbali accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his allies of creating instability in the state to give the federal government a reason to prolong the emergency rule.
“There is a plan to extend it,” Gbali said. “Before the end of the six months, they want to incite problems that will make the President make another pronouncement. Of course, you know if there is any pronouncement, it calls for the end of the administration.”
The emergency rule was announced in March and led to the suspension of all elected officials in the state for a six-month period. Although Rivers State has remained relatively calm since then, Gbali questioned the basis for the emergency measure, describing it as politically motivated.
“All these issues are geared towards 2027, and we are so surprised that His Excellency will be meddling in this kind of matter when there are more burning issues,” he said, referring to President Bola Tinubu’s involvement in the matter.
He also criticized the actions of those sent to restore peace in the state, suggesting they were pursuing political control instead.
“In politics, there is what we call body language. You will see that if you study the body language, that is the plan — where they set aside the subsisting projects, wanting to design a budget. But you know someone that was sent to establish peace even wants to install sole administrators at the local government level,” Gbali noted.
He further questioned why Rivers State was subjected to an emergency rule when more troubled states in the country had not received the same treatment.
“People are dying every day in Plateau State, but there is no state of emergency. But in Rivers State, there was a declaration of emergency when we did not have anybody hurt. In Rivers State, everyone is going about their duty, and that is why everyone is calling on the President to rescind his decision,” he added.
