By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
Founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has called on Vice President (VP) Kashim Shettima to resign his position forthwith.
He proferred reasons Shettima should quit the exalted office of the country’s number two position.
Maharaj Ji, in a statement, said Shettima had made comments allegedly antagonising the steps the Federal Government (FG) he is part of, had taken.
“As Vice President, Kashim Shettima’s comment on the alleged unconstitutionality of the Federal Government’s emergency rule in Rivers State escalates matters. This is why the Founder of One Love Family and Living Perfect Master, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has called for his resignation,” the statement read,in part.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on Rivers State on March 18 this year following protracted political impasse between two political leaders in the state, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and his political godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Consequently, President Tinubu had suspended democratic governance in the state and slammed a six-month suspension on Gov. Fubara; his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu; and the 32 members of the state legislature.
To avoid a vacuum, the president appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the state’s Sole Administrator.
But recently, Shettima, at a book launch in Abuja, the nation’s capital, reportedly declared that a former president, Goodluck Jonathan, was told, while in office, that he lacked the constitutional power to remove an elected councillor, let alone a sitting state governor -a remark some Nigerians extended to mean an indirect attack on Tinubu’s own action.
But Maharaj Ji said Shettima ought to be defending whatever his boss says or does.
“But because of the ethnic mentality of ‘pay the Southerner money and control their attitude’ mentality that has always been the thinking of the Northern leaders who believed Presidency is their sole right, he has been going against him in recent times,” he alleged.
According to Maharaj Ji, the President hinged his Rivers decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, saying he could not continue to watch the political situation in the state escalate without taking any measures.
He stated that the President had received security reports of “disturbing incidents of vandalism of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
“Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution interprets a state of emergency as a situation of ‘national danger, disaster or terrorist attacks in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures to regain control.’
“A state of emergency allows the president to immediately make any desired regulations to secure public order and safety.
“The unfolding insecurity, if left unchecked, could precipitate anarchy and a collapse of law and order.”
Maharaj ji posited that for President Tinubu to seal his move as required by the Constitution, he had written separate letters to the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly, seeking approval for the imposition of emergency rule on the State.
Maharaji Ji added: “Tinubu’s decision comes amid escalating political chaos in the state involving Governor Fubara against his predecessor and current Federal Capital Territory Minister, Wike as well as the pro-Wike lawmakers.
“Tinubu stated in his broadcast that he was ‘greatly disturbed’ by the political situation in Rivers State, adding that he had ‘watched with concern, the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.’
“Tinubu also referenced the Fubara’s controversial demolition of the state House of Assembly in December 2023, which, according to Tinubu, had left the state without a functioning legislature for over 14 months.
“He stated that ‘I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, laders of thought and patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.’
“He noted that with the crisis persisting, the state has been ‘at a standstill’ since the crisis started, with the people of the state not being able to have ‘access to the dividends of democracy.’
“A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution, as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.”
Maharraj Ji defended the suspension, arguing that “most people don’t understand what Tinubu did in Rivers State for peace. The governor, deputy, and lawmakers are all suspended. So, there are no winners here before you start threatening Tinubu.
“Tinubu actually saved Fubara from being uprooted by the 27 legislators of the state through impeachment. If not for the timely intervention of Tinubu, Fubara would have kissed his governorship goodbye.
“Tinubu didn’t remove Fubara. He only created a space to ease tension. Fubara openly appreciated such a kind gesture from Tinubu which has brought progress to Rivers.Obasanjo couldn’t remove Tinubu, despite all attacks by Obasanjo to distablise his government in Lagos, because Tinubu was and is still an active politician who understands the plights of the people and the political terrain.
“The devious games and criminal plans of Northern politicians against Nigeria’s progress and existence are all known and it is on the basis of my unwavering divine commitment to protect and salvage Nigeria from their satanic agenda, as co-scripted and approved by Britain and Saudi Arabia, both being their principal external cohorts, that Nigeria has been allowed to evolve in a way that appears to them as evidence of their invincibility.
“Evolution, as against revolution, stands out as the appropriate route to guide booty-trapped Nigeria through to its destined shore of grace and glory. The option of revolution plays straight into the Annihilation Plan of the Northern political oligarchy against Nigeria!”
