Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has defended his decision to present the 2025 budget to only three lawmakers, rejecting any claims of factionalism within the State House of Assembly. This move comes amid ongoing political tensions between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Fubara explained that the 27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have permanently lost their seats, and there is no legal way for them to reclaim them. Speaking after signing the N1.1 trillion budget on Thursday at the Rivers State House in Port Harcourt, the governor expressed frustration over the insults he received from Wike’s camp. He stated that he would no longer tolerate any further disrespect.
The governor also emphasized that the three-member legislative body, led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo, is the only legitimate Assembly in the state. He firmly dismissed the idea of a factional Assembly, marking a continued political standoff between him and Wike’s camp. This decision highlights the ongoing political divide in Rivers State, with the governor standing firm in his position despite the tensions.
Clarifying his stance, Fubara said, “I want to say this, maybe for some persons somewhere who are still mixing up issues. We have only one Assembly, and that Assembly is headed by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.”
The governor compared the defected lawmakers’ actions to a failed expedition, saying, “A group of friends about nine months ago embarked on what is called a sea-bared journey; halfway through the vessel, while they were coasting, they realized that they were entering the den of devils and sharks, and they now want to retreat. It is too late, and the truth is that we are not going back.”
Fubara reiterated his commitment to defending the state’s integrity, adding, “We have given them enough room for peace. There is no governor in Nigeria who can take the kind of insult I took from those set of people. As it stands now, our major target is the interest of Rivers State, and we will continue to defend the integrity of governance. As far as I am concerned, we have moved on.”
