Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has stated that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was locked out of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday for failing to follow due process.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Abuja, Wike, the immediate past governor of the state, explained that Fubara’s attempt to present the 2025 budget was blocked due to his disregard for proper procedures.
Earlier in the day, Fubara and his entourage were denied access to the assembly quarters in Port Harcourt, where the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the assembly, loyal to Wike, convenes. Upon arriving, they found the gates locked.
Fubara and Wike have been engaged in a power struggle over the control of Rivers State’s political structure, which has resulted in the polarization of the state assembly.
In December 2024, Fubara presented a N1.1 trillion 2025 budget proposal to the faction of the assembly loyal to him, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
However, a February 28 Supreme Court ruling directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation to withhold statutory monthly allocations to Rivers State until Fubara presents the state appropriation bill to the Amaewhule-led faction.
The Supreme Court also annulled the local government election held in Rivers State on October 5, 2024. The court’s decision emphasized the need for Fubara to comply with its order and engage with the Amaewhule-led assembly.
Fubara had previously sent a letter inviting members of the Amaewhule-led assembly to a meeting scheduled for Monday, which was seen as an attempt to resolve the crisis that has plagued the assembly since 2023.
However, Wike criticized Fubara for sending a letter instead of directly calling Amaewhule and his team to arrange the meeting. He described Fubara’s letter as “useless” and accused the governor of playing politics for the cameras.
“You’ve had a strained relationship with an arm of government. If you’re a good politician, you don’t just write a letter. Is that how it’s done? You should pick up the phone and arrange a meeting, not write a letter signed by the SSG. What an insult!”
He continued, “All these letters are useless. He’s playing to the gallery. He knows it’s wrong. Can the president just walk into the assembly like that? Who does that? The assembly complex was demolished, and now the assembly sits in their residence. There’s a process. You can’t just open the gate and walk in to present the budget. It’s nonsense!”
Fubara had stated that his visit to the assembly quarters was in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers.
