Lock Out: Rivers Lawmakers Fault Fubara, Ex-PANDEF Spokesman, INC kick, wike speaks on impeachment

The simmering political crisis in Rivers state appears far from over as the effort of the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to gain access into the official quarters of the state House of Assembly along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, where the 27 lawmakers are holding their sittings, met a brick wall.

Fubara had arrived the complex in the company of top government officials including the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, and his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, but met a locked gate, thus denying him access into the premises.

The development came some 24 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had told the delegation of the visiting Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) to counsel the governor on the need to adhere to the rule of law for lasting peace to return to the state.

The visit followed the Supreme Court ruling which nullified the local government election conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RVSIEC), and also ordered the governor to present the 2025 budget before the Amaewhule-led state legislature.

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As a matter of fact, the lawmakers had, last week, given the governor a 48-hour ultimatum to present the budget, but that did not happen, fuelling further fear that the worst was yet to happen.

Addressing journalists at the gate of the assembly after he couldn’t gain entrance, the governor said: “Before my arrival here, I made several attempts to speak to the Speaker. I also sent a letter which was transmitted for this particular invitation.

“Unfortunately, at the gate, you can see that the place is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today.”

The visibly worried governor said: “The reason why we are doing this, I have always said, is in the interest of our person, which is the most important thing. I don’t think there is anything to worry about. I expect to hear from them after today,” after which his entourage drove off.

Although Blueprint gathered the gate was put under lock because the House said there was no communication to its leadership hinting on the governor’s visit; however, in a letter RVSG/RVHA/Vol 1/00140, dated March 11, 2025, and addressed to the Speaker, Martins Chike Amaewhule, the governor communicated his intention to visit the lawmakers.

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The missive, personally signed by Fubara, was titled ‘Presentation of Rivers State 2025 Budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly.’

It read: “Please recall my statewide broadcast of March 2, 2025, in which I expressed our unreserved commitment to implementing the recent Supreme Court judgment on the political disputes in Rivers State as soon as the enrolled judgment orders were served on us.

“It was in furtherance of this commitment that we initiated the consultative meeting with the Rivers State House of Assembly for March 10, 2025, to consider all the issues raised by the judgment and agree on the way forward in the best interest of our dear state.

“However, this crucial meeting was never held, which was unfortunate. Nevertheless, we have decided to move on to swiftly implement the terms of the judgment as promised, having now been served with the Certified True Copy.

“Consequently, we wish to notify Mr. Speaker of our desire and intention to present the 2025 Rivers State Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, by 10 a.m.

“Thank you for the kind consideration of my request by the House, and please accept, Mr. Speaker, the assurance of my highest regards.”

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Faulting the claim, however, the House said it never received any official communication from the governor.

Chairman House Committee on Information, Dr. Enemi Alabo George likened the governor’s claims to a comedy skit scripted to paint the House in bad light.

George said: “We were the ones, who immediately after that judgement appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill. We acted immediately because we have the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm.

“Despite withholding our entitlements for over a year and demolishing our chambers, we still wanted him to hasten up the presentation in the interest of the progress of Rivers.

“We indicated our intentions in that letter and even gave him a timeframe because of the urgency of the matter. To regularise his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and some boards’ membership for screening and confirmation.

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“But the Governor rebuffed our pleas. We sent employees of the Assembly to deliver these resolutions to him but as usual they turned them down at the gate and even brutalized them. We resorted to engaging the services of a courier company.

“But he still did not heed our call forgetting that there are essential services like hospitals, schools and others to be funded. Our intention was to finish everything about the budget on March 15th so that we could send necessary information and documents to relevant agencies of the government to allow the release of Rivers allocations at the end of March. But with what he is doing, we don’t know what he wants to achieve.

“How can he turn around to claim that we blocked him from re-presenting his budget? This is the height of insincerity. We even need the budget to be passed because the governor has been owing us our entitlements for more than a year and without the budget we can’t get our entitlements.

“The Governor and his team simply and deliberately acted Wednesday’s drama with a singular motive to tarnish the image of the Assembly. The governor is simply playing to the gallery to whip up unnecessary sentiments. But it has backfired because the truth has come out.”

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Speaking further, the lawmaker also claimed the letter never got to the Speaker, but was only seen on the social media after Wednesday’s sitting.

“But even the letter trending on social media was dated March 11. Does it mean that the governor purportedly sent a letter on Tuesday God knows when, and immediately mobilised to the assembly quarters on Wednesday morning claiming he came to present his budget?

“That alone vitiates the claimed purpose. It is procedurally trite that after writing to the Assembly, the governor ought to wait for the letter to be acknowledged by the lawmakers, who will then invite him to appear before them and make his presentation. Governor Fubara ought to know this if he is sincere.

“But all we know is that this Assembly will continue to uphold the rule of law and will remain committed to promoting the interest of Rivers State. We urge him to do the needful so that Rivers people can breathe. He is toying with the lives and livelihood of Rivers people.”

And in the midst of all this, Fubara’s predecessor and minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, said heaven would not fall if the governor errs and gets impeached.

Speaking at a media parley Wednesday in Abuja, Wike said: “If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. Am I a member of the Assembly?

“If you have committed an infraction of the constitution and the Assembly deems it fit to say, you should be impeached.

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“I have heard people say: ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order’. Rubbish! Nothing will happen.”

The minister said the Amaewhule-led House could have gone on a six-month recess after the Supreme Court verdict if the lawmakers were not favourably disposed to peace in the state.

Weighing in on the matter, a former PANDEF spokesman, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, described the lawmakers’ action as provocative.

Speaking Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Sara-Igbe, who is the National Chairman of South South Elders Forum, said: “The governor was elected by millions of Rivers people. As the chief executive officer of the state, he has unhindered access to all the facilities within the state. Blocking him from entering the complex is a direct insult and embarrassment to the people of Rivers state.

“It is now very clear that the governor is ready for peace. But these people are not ready for peace. You can see that by their action. How can you bar a sitting governor from gaining access to a facility that belongs to the state?

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“I appeal that he implements all the decisions stipulated by the Supreme Court judgment, even though I did not agree with some of those decisions. Let him implement them. Rivers people are watching. The world is watching.”

In another intervention, President Ijaw National Congress (INC) Professor Benjamin Okaba, also condemned the lawmakers’ action.

He said: “Some people say Sim Fubara is weak, but he is only respecting the rule of law. He assured the President that he would implement the Supreme Court’s judgment, so why should the lawmakers block him from entering the Assembly?”

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“These same lawmakers gave the Governor 48-hour and 72-hour ultimatums to present the budget. They also demanded that he sack 19 Commissioners. If he sacks the Commissioners, including the Commissioner for Finance, who then prepares the budget?” he added.

“If they go ahead and impeach Sim Fubara recklessly, we will resist it. The consequences will be too heavy for the entire country to bear. This is not a threat—it is a reality,” the INC further said.

Source: Blueprint