Fubara cannot escape justice by joining APC, says Rivers chairman

Rivers APC Chairman Tony Okocha has declared that suspended Governor Fubara will not escape justice by joining the party, stating his actions were against the people, not political

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ubara cannot escape justice by defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party’s Rivers State Chairman, Tony Okocha, has said, insisting that the suspended governor’s alleged offences are legal and constitutional, not political.

Also read: Tinubu, Fubara hold private meeting amid Rivers political crisis

Addressing journalists on Tuesday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, Okocha ruled out any possibility of immunity for Governor Siminalayi Fubara if he attempts to join the APC, declaring that his actions, as cited in a Supreme Court judgment, were against the people of Rivers State.

“If Fubara decides to join APC today, his sins cannot be forgiven because his suspension has nothing to do with politics,” Okocha stated.

“Then, it would have made the APC a dumping ground for people who commit misdemeanours and believe that by and large, we will come for reconciliation. No.”

Okocha also dismissed suggestions that recent meetings between Governor Fubara and President Bola Tinubu indicated reconciliation efforts were ongoing.

“There is no reconciliation ongoing, not to my knowledge. I should know because I am the Chairman of the Rivers APC,” he said.

He emphasised that only a genuine reconciliation with the State Assembly members could shield Fubara from impeachment proceedings.

“Only genuine reconciliation can save him,” he noted, adding that the Supreme Court had ruled that there was effectively no functioning government in Rivers State justifying the President’s intervention and declaration of a state of emergency.

Okocha stressed that entry into the APC must follow due process. “He must follow the procedures before he can be admitted. He cannot come through the window. He must come through the door—from his ward.”

Reiterating that the issues surrounding Fubara’s suspension were legal and not partisan, Okocha warned that political alignment would not provide cover.

“Fubara’s suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State had no business whatsoever with politics. It was about his misdemeanour.”

The APC leader added that despite the President’s inclusive stance, Fubara has failed to take steps towards reconciliation with stakeholders in the state.