An Elder Statesman and Ijaw Leader, PA Edwin Clark has recounted an incident where late President Umaru Yar'Adua summoned him to discuss Rotimi Amaechi's alleged plan to demolish Ateke Tom's house In Rivers State.
He noted how the then President Yar'Adua urged him to counsel Amaechi against such actions. He however stated that before he could intervene, Ateke Tom relocated to Ajah village in Lagos, where he remained for an extended period because Amaechi's plan was already in action. He pointed out that this situation exemplified the persistent and tumultuous conflicts within the state, which he referred to as "Rivers Politics." He described the political landscape as one fraught with continuous strife and irrationality.
He said in an interview with Punch, ''Yar'Adua sent for me one day and he told me to talk to Amaechi very well because he heard he wanted to destroy Ateke Tom's house. I was on the verge of doing that when Ateke Tom left for Lagos. He was in Ajah village for a long time. So, there have been problems upon problems in th State. That is why I call it the Rivers Politics. It is a politics of madness and both Wike and Amaewhule were at the forefront of it.''