The President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba has declared that there is no pre-election agreement anywhere in the world that would override the legal authority vested in a sitting governor by the constitution.
This was as the INC President counselled political actors to focus more on lawful and transparent engagement as against promoting claims that challenge the operational authority of elected officials.
Prof Okaba, who stated these when featured on Channels Television programme, specifically said that no sitting governor anywhere in the world signs an agreement that would take away his constitutional right to appoint commissioners, chairmen of Local Government and Agencies and or his Chief of Staff, who should be his trusted ally.
The INC President who spoke against the backdrop of claims regarding an alleged pre-election agreement involving Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stressed that any suggestion that a governor had formally restricted his constitutional powers through a prior agreement was unrealistic and contrary to standard governance practices.
In the words of Okaba; “Claims of this nature should be treated with caution, as they risk distorting public understanding of political processes and executive responsibilities.
“The governor’s role inherently includes the appointment of key officials necessary for effective governance, and no pre-election arrangement can legally constrain that authority,” he insisted.
Okaba further said that discussions about alleged agreements must be separated from factual constitutional obligations and the practical realities of governing a state, stressing that misrepresenting such arrangements could be used as a tool for political manoeuvring rather than genuine concern for governance.
