THE PLOT TO KILL TINUBU – AN INVITATION TO ANARCHY AND END TO DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA; RIVERS STATE AC SET TO STORM EKITI

The Nigerian nation is still deficient of genuine leaders who represent the people's mandate. This was a statement made by the Rivers State Action Congress in an emergency meeting held on 28th of March, 2009, summoned by the Chairman of the Party in the state, Hon Suage Badey with it leader and gubernatorial candidate in the 2007 elections, Prince Tonye Princewill presiding.

This was in reaction to the arrest of Lai Mohammed the party's National spokesperson and threat to arrest the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande over the rumour within the political circles that a plot was underway to eliminate the former Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Senator Bola Tinubu. Northern elements have been alleged to be behind the threat to assassinate the renowned politician especially a sitting Governor from the north central zone who is rumoured to be the brain behind this evil plot.

Prince Tonye princewill rising from the said meeting, which centered on the arrest, the assassination threat and the run-off election coming up on the 25th of April at Ekiti, called on the Police to release Lai Mohammed immediately without any further delay and stop any further intimidation of the opposition as the use of Police by the PDP led Government to score cheap political point will not in any form be deter or cow us in exposing the deficiency of governance in our country. Any attempt to silence the voice of the opposition in Nigeria as currently represented by AC will be resisted. The Rivers State AC Leader further admonished politicians across the country to desist from actions capable of truncating the democratic process that has cost the country so much of the tax payers money to sustain. He called on President Yar'adua to be transparent and ensure that his government comes up with an electoral reform that would ensure the peoples mandate in further elections. This he said would enable the system to undergo an automatic overhaul, which will certainly keep venal and insincere persons with a propensity for violence and disregard for human life away from politics. Nigeria, he said is blessed with enormous human capital that is not being harnessed because of an electoral system that is flawed, giving rise to a lot of misplaced protagonists who style themselves as leaders while the patriots shy away for fear of being assassinated.

The party also said that Nigeria has come of age and should get rid of pseudo leaders bereft of ideas and the vision to place Nigeria credibly among the comity of nations. Rivers State AC warned that any attempt on Asiwaju will not only provoke a mass reaction from Rivers State AC but also AC nationally which will precipitate the fragmentation of Nigeria along ethnic divides. A replication of the anarchy that roiled western Nigeria and affected the entire country in 1963 should be avoided. The party called on the security agencies to do what they know best and protect Tinubu as well as unravel the criminals behind the threat. In furtherance of the commitment of Rivers State AC to the leadership style of Asiwaju, the party decided that its secretariat would relocate to Ekiti on the 18th of April to lend support to Tinubu and the gubernatorial choice of the people, Fayemi, to restore the stolen mandate of Action Congress in Ekiti State. We must commend the PDP followers that have joined AC enmaass in Ekiti and the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Fayose who in his wisdom has given the staff of office to the incoming Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Fayemi before his formal swearing on 26th April, 2009 after the rerun off election . The Party tagged the Ekiti Struggle as "operation restores hope" and all hands must be on deck to disallow electoral malpractices.

It would be recalled that Rivers State AC has been at the forefront when it comes to giving support to the party in states where re-runs have been conducted; in 2008, the party was in Adamawa and Bayelsa states to give support to their candidates.

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
Rivers State Action Congress, Publicity Secretary