The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has once again expressed his support for the Rivers State House of Assembly in its ongoing dispute with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The disagreement between Fubara and the Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, revolves around the presentation of the state’s 2025 budget. The impasse follows a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the legitimacy of the lawmakers as members of the Rivers State Assembly.
In response, the Assembly requested Fubara to re-present the 2025 budget, which he had initially submitted to a faction of lawmakers led by Victor Oko-Jumbo. Amid the tensions, with Fubara accusing the legislators of obstructing his efforts to re-present the budget, Wike has sided with the Assembly in the conflict.
“Let me tell you, I’m not going to stop the Assembly from performing their constitutional duties. The Assembly should be allowed to perform their constitutional role,” Wike said on Saturday during a Thanksgiving Service held in Abalama, Asari-Toru Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
“The Assembly people should do their work. Whatever they deem necessary and fit, that is constitutional, they should do. I’m not going to stop anybody from carrying out their functions. I will not do that,” the minister said.
The immediate past governor of the state accused Fubara of seizing allowances and other benefits accrued to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Wike claimed Fubara was deceived into recognising a group of lawmakers and was wrong assured that “Nothing would happen”.
“You went, and they told you to seize Assembly members’ salaries, and allowances for more than one year. These people have no income to pay their children’s school fees and feed their families, and you were jubilating. You were jubilating and people were encouraging you that nothing would happen. But something has happened,” the FCT minister who is also a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) told the jubilant crowd.
“They will lead you to hellfire,” the minister warned Governor Fubara.