Yekini Nabena, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy national publicity secretary, cautioned President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday against picking a side in the political disputes that are occurring in the states of Rivers and Ondo.
He asked the President and the ruling APC to handle political developments in these states with proper respect to constitutional principles, stressing the necessity of maintaining the Constitution, according to Daily Post.
In his statement, he emphasized that Tinubu, as a figurehead for the nation, should refrain from engaging in political maneuvering within Ondo. He urged Tinubu to demonstrate his commitment to democratic values rather than adopting a dictatorial approach.
Nabena articulated, “President Bola Tinubu must not play politics with the two states. He must show that he is a democrat and not a dictator.”
“President Tinubu, who believes in the political or social equality of all people and practices the principle of equality of rights, must not play politics with River and Ondo states.”
Highlighting the need for adherence to the nation’s constitution, Nabena called on the APC to carefully consider the party constitution. He specifically pointed out that the National Working Committee lacks the authority to dissolve an elected chairman and his executive in Rivers, emphasizing the democratic nature of the APC.
“We are Democrats and not dictators in the APC, so we should be mindful of our actions. The implications of this action in River State might be dangerous for our party in the near future if the right thing is not done quickly now.
If not, what happened before in 2019 will happen again with litigation here and there,” Nabena cautioned.
