The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described as “useless”, the letter written to the Rivers State House of Assembly by Governor Siminalayi Fubara seeking an audience with the lawmakers over the implementation of the verdict of the Supreme Court on the political affairs of the state.
Wike, the immediate-past governor of the oil-rich South-South state, made this known on Wednesday during a chat with journalists in Abuja.
“You have had a frosty relationship with an arm of government. If you are a good politician, will you go and write a letter? 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,” he said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) powerbroker said Speaker Martins Amaewhule and other lawmakers in the Rivers Assembly are not Fubara’s boys and should be accorded some respect. Amaewhule and over 20 lawmakers in the House are loyal to Wike.
Wike said instead of inviting members of the House through a public letter, Fubara should have called Amaewhule and his team via the phone and agreed on a date and time for a meeting.
On Friday, February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court handed a raft of decisions on the political situation in the oil-rich South-South state.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-man panel of the court unanimously dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Fubara challenging the validity of the House of Assembly presided over by Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker.
In dismissing Fubara’s appeal, the court ordered Martin Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with other elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The apex court also barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other agencies from releasing funds to the Government of Rivers State until it purges itself of what the court described as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
Also, the apex court declared the local government election conducted in the state on October 5, 2024, as invalid.
Fubara subsequently said he would fully implement the judgments of the apex court and directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to come up with modalities for the fresh election.
The electoral commission fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh local government poll in the state.
Furthermore, the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, in a letter dated March 7, 2025, sought a meeting with the lawmakers for March 10, 2025 to discuss the re-presentation of the 2025 budget and a peace talk.
But the Assembly had asked the governor to channel his invitation properly.
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