- Fubara invited Amaewhule-led lawmakers for a meeting, aiming to resolve the legislative crisis affecting Rivers state since 2023.
- Wike criticised Fubara’s letter, arguing he should have directly contacted Amaewhule and dismissed the letter as “useless.”
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that Rivers governor Siminalayi Fubara was denied entry into the assembly quarters for failing to follow due process.
The former governor of the oil-producing south-south state made this remark on Wednesday while addressing journalists during a media interaction in Abuja.
Recall that Fubara was blocked from gaining access to the Rivers house of assembly quarters in Port Harcourt, where he intended to present the 2025 budget.
Upon reaching the entrance of the premises with his team, Fubara found that the gates had been shut, preventing him from going inside.
The assembly quarters currently serve as the legislative chamber for the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers assembly, a group that remains loyal to Wike.
A fierce power struggle between Fubara and Wike over the state’s political leadership has resulted in heightened tensions within Rivers state.
This ongoing dispute has caused a division within the Rivers house of assembly, with both factions functioning separately.
In December 2024, Fubara submitted the 2025 budget proposal, worth N1.1 trillion, to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led house of assembly, which supports him.
THE SUPREME COURT VERDICT
On February 28, the supreme court upheld a lower court ruling that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the accountant-general from disbursing Rivers’ statutory allocations.
The highest court in the country ruled that Rivers’ financial entitlements should be withheld until Fubara presents the state’s budget to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
Additionally, the supreme court annulled the local government election held in Rivers on October 5, 2024, and Fubara assured that he would comply with the judgment.
FUBARA INVITES PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS
On Sunday, Fubara sent a letter inviting members of the Martin Amaewhule-led assembly faction to a scheduled meeting on Monday.
His invitation was perceived as an attempt to address the legislative crisis that has been affecting the Rivers assembly since 2023.
USELESS INVITATION LETTER
However, the FCT minister criticised Fubara for choosing to write a letter, arguing that he should have reached out to Amaewhule and his team directly.
Wike dismissed the letter, which requested a meeting with the lawmakers regarding the supreme court’s verdict on the state’s political situation, as “useless.”
“You have had a frosty relationship with an arm of government. If you are a good politician, will you go and write a letter?,” he asked.
“Is it by writing a letter signed by the SSG? What an insult! Is it how it is done? If you are a politician you know what to do.
“You want to play to the gallery which is rubbish. All these letters are useless, you are not sincere, you are playing to the gallery.
“If you write a letter to the Assembly, won’t you wait for a response? That’s what I’m telling you. Sincerely. As soon as you play to the gallery, he has carried television people along.
“Now they’ll say, Oh, he went to the Assembly. He knows it’s wrong. Can the President now stand up and run to the Assembly? Who does that?
“He (Fubara) brought Assembly complex down. The Assembly now sits in their residence. If they’re coming, they have children.
“They’ll say, the Governor is coming today; They have a lot of security, so they have to prepare themselves.
“He cannot just go and open the gate and come to present the budget. Nonsense. Rubbish.
Rubbish! Who is playing to the gallery? Nobody will hear that.”
Meanwhile, Fubara stated that he had gone to the assembly quarters in obedience to the supreme court ruling concerning Rivers’ ongoing political crisis.
“I am here this morning with a few members of the state executive council to comply with the supreme court judgment,” the governor told journalists.
“Before my arrival, I had made several attempts by phone calls to reach the speaker (Martin Amaewhule) and other members.
“I also wrote a letter personally, which was transmitted to the honourable speaker for this particular invitation.
“It is unfortunate that by the gate, you can see that the place is completely sealed and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today. The reason why we are doing this is the interest of our people — which is the most important thing.
“There is nothing to worry about. Maybe they are working on their letter. I expect to hear from them maybe after now.”
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