‘Agreement Reached In Abuja Is A Coup Against Governor Fubara’ – Lawyer

A Constitutional Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate, Festus Ogwuche, has described the truce reached in Abuja as a coup detat against Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the people of the state.

Naija News recalls that Tinubu met with Nyesom Wike and Fubara at the Presidential Villa on Monday to resolve the political crisis in Rivers State.

At the end of the meeting, a truce was reached to resolve the political crisis in the state.

Ogwuche, in his reaction to the meeting, said the document and the agreement reached were against any known law and the constitution of the nation.

He further stated that it was treason for a governor to subject himself to another authority apart from the people who voted him in.

He said, “I have got a glimpse of the agreement, and I think it is something that cannot fly. We are operating a constitutional system, within a democratic system, and all the principles of democracy and constitutionalism must readily be applied.

“The governor of a state cannot be subservient to any other authority part from the one given by the constitution and authority of the people. I wonder if the governor had the consent and authority of the people to endorse such a document.

“If he did sign the document, it then raises fundamental constitutional questions that need to be addressed. The governor is only loyal to the people and not to any other authority. If he consented to that, it means that the government of Rivers State is been taken over in a manner not contemplated by the constitution.

“That pander to the fact of treason. Treasonable felony when you run any administration within the federal outside the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Except he has the mandate of the people, it is very unconstitutional if any implementation is made on that document.”

Ogwuche further said: “It is unconstitutional; it is an illegal document that cannot be brought in any aspect of governance in Rivers State. There could be some understanding between politicians but it is not what you put down in black and white as an instrument of governance.

“Do you call the document fundamental principle of state policies. Would you regard it as charter of governance between the people and the governor? It is totally wrong, constitutionally You cannot make mockery of the constitution that way.

“It is democratic Coup état, what else do you call a coup? You cannot take over the state outside the contemplation of the constitution. It has offended the provisions of the constitution. The running of state affairs, oath of office the institutions of government and others are contained in the constitution.

“Then where did constitution provide that there should be agreement signed with another authority over the sharing of government offices, privileges. It is completely a coup against the Rivers State Government.”