From Jude Dangwam, Jos
Former Plateau State governor, Senator Joshua Dariye, has debunked insinuations by a former People’s Democratic Party (PDP), South West vice chairman, Chief Olabode George, that the state of emergency imposed on Plateau State by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2004, was necessitated by the people’s rejection of the then governor.
Dariye, in a statement, yesterday, described Chief George’s narrative as false, malicious and a calculated attempt to distort the facts of the matter which were already in the public domain.
The former governor explained that contrary to what the PDP chieftain wanted Nigerians to believe, there was not any agitation for his removal from office at that time as a result of the Yelwa crisis, which led to the imposition of the state of emergency by former president Obasanjo.
He noted that there was no protest by any individual or groups to warrant the state of emergency, rather, it was a deliberate move to remove him from office by enemies of the state whose interests were not protected during the ethno-religious crisis.
He said: “I wonder what justification Chief Olabode George is trying to adduce for my illegal suspension from office in the name of state of emergency. The elder statesman is being economical with the truth as there was no protest, whatsoever, in Plateau State calling for the imposition of state of emergency.
“From his outburst, it’s very clear for the discerning to see that the old man does not like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; that is why he is making such a biased analysis trying to fault the state of emergency imposed in Rivers State as unjustifiable.
“I am flabbergasted that a person of Chief Olabode George’s stature will appear on national television to canvass such flawed and baseless comments on a matter that was widely condemned by the local and international community, including the Human Rights Watch and other reputable organisations”, he stated.
Dariye argued that George was trying to give a seal of approval to the action of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, while faulting the recent state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, simply because of his hatred for President Tinubu right from the inception of his government.
He maintained that in as much as he had forgiven Obasanjo for not treating him fairly, people like Chief Olabode George, who were in the full knowledge of what transpired at that time, should not be feeding unsuspecting members of the public and posterity with falsehood, thereby, distorting history that would be bequeathed to the younger generations.
Senator Dariye advised the PDP chieftain not to heat up the polity with senseless and baseless comments that would not enhance the political system, noting that, at this point in the nation’s history, concerted efforts were needed to move the country forward.
He urged George to face the multi-faceted challenges facing his crisis-ridden party, instead of nosing in the affairs of the APC whose government was working hard to better the lives of Nigerians through the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.