The federal government has absolved the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, of wrongdoing in the political crisis in Rivers State leading to the declaration of state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.

“Where do you put the Minister of FCT (Wike) in this case?,” said the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, while addressing State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday. “Was he the one who asked for the demolition of the House of Assembly? Was he the one who said the governor shouldn’t present the budget to the House Assembly? I don’t see his hand here.”

Following Mr Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the state, some Nigerians accused the president of taking sides with Mr Wike.

However, Mr Fagbemi exonerated Mr Wike of misconduct, insisting that Mr Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis was timely and well-advised.

“We are about two years into this administration. Now, when do you think the President should have intervened? Should he have waited until everything was destroyed? I don’t think so,” Mr Fagbemi said.

The minister further said that Mr Tinubu’s decision was rather a subtle political compromise taken to prevent Mr Siminalayi Fubara from losing completely in the state through impeachment.

He stated, “There was a notice of impeachment from the House of Assembly. If that impeachment had been allowed to run its full course, then the governor (Fubara) would have lost entirely and completely. So, in a way, if you say it’s a compromise, I would agree.”

Mr Tinubu’s suspension of Mr Fubara, his deputy and other elected officials in Rivers had been condemned by several Nigerians, including opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who slammed the proclamation as unconstitutional and illegal.

Mr Tinubu’s suspension of Mr Fubara, his deputy and other elected officials in Rivers State has been condemned by some Nigerians, including members of opposition political parties such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.