Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has dismissed concerns about a possible impeachment, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that has significantly altered the state’s political landscape. The ruling, delivered on Friday, recognized the 27 lawmakers loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike and ordered the federal government to withhold financial allocations to Rivers State until Fubara presents the budget to these lawmakers.
The court’s decision also nullified last year’s local government elections conducted under Fubara’s administration, shifting the balance of power in favor of Wike and his loyalists in the state assembly.
The conflict between Fubara and his former political mentor, Wike, has been brewing since October 2023. The state assembly remains sharply divided, with 27 lawmakers siding with Wike, while only four remain loyal to Fubara. The political tension escalated when the pro-Wike lawmakers attempted to impeach Fubara, an effort that was met with resistance from the governor’s camp. The standoff even led to a bomb explosion at the state assembly complex.
Fubara, insisting that the 27 lawmakers had forfeited their seats after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), refused to recognize them. Instead, he presented the 2024 and 2025 state budgets to the four lawmakers still backing him. However, the Supreme Court has now ruled his actions illegal, directing him to resubmit the budget to the pro-Wike lawmakers.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the Rivers State government remains unfazed. The state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, assured that the governor is in control and focused on governance.
He added that Fubara’s administration remains committed to development, with plans to inaugurate several projects over the next ten days.
“The Supreme Court didn’t remove the governor; it only withheld Rivers State’s financial allocations. This will not deter him from delivering on his promises,” Johnson asserted.
As the political battle in Rivers State rages on, the next steps by both Fubara and the pro-Wike lawmakers will determine whether the state will find stability or plunge deeper into crisis.
