‘Not Wike vs Fubara,’ Rivers Speaker Mentions Actual 'Sin' of Embattled Governor
- Martins Chike Amaewhule has criticised Governor Siminalayi Fubara for alleged constitutional violations impacting Rivers State's democracy
- Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, emphasised the absence of the 2026 Appropriation Bill as a major governance failure in the state
- He stated that the ongoing political crisis is a clash between Governor Fubara and the constitution, not with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Port Harcourt, Rivers state - Martins Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, stated on Thursday, January 8, that the protracted political crisis in the state is not a feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the Speaker, “it is the governor and the constitution.”
Source: Twitter
Amaewhule blames Fubara, not Wike
Amaewhule criticised Fubara for actions allegedly in violation of the Nigerian Constitution, The Punch reported.
Speaking angrily, as noted by Leadership, the Speaker described Governor Fubara as “a threat to our democracy.” He insisted that alleged constitutional breaches by the governor were being overlooked by certain elders in the oil-rich state.
He said:
“Siminalayi Fubara is a mistake. He is a mistake. River state has never had it this bad.
"In the entire Nigeria, Siminalayi Fubara and Professor Ngozi Odu, these are the only two people in the office at the sub-national level that are yet to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill. The entire country. I am sure if you go to the entire West African sub-region or even Africa, you will not find any sub-national government that has not presented an appropriation bill for 2026.
“Who would believe that in this 21st century, a state like River States will not have an appropriation bill either presented or passed? Nothing is holding the governor back from presenting it. He chose not to.”
Rivers speaker blasts Fubara over accountability
Amaewhule added:
“Other governors are saying how they are receiving money, how much they received, how much they have spent. Since May 29th, 2023, when Siminalayi Fubara and Ngozi Odu were sworn in, they have never, never for once issued any statement of account of Rivers state. Not once. And the governor is boasting that they are going to call us and give us order not to follow the constitution. And people are going in the media, people that we respect, elders that we respect who are supposed to call him to order. They are going to tell him that what he is doing is good.
Source: Facebook
"Rather than cautioning the governor for his infractions on the constitution, they are clapping for him. Rather than calling on the governor, they are calling on our FCT minister, who is helping Mr President in Abuja; they are making it look like it's a problem between the FCT minister and the governor. It is not the FCT minister and the governor. It is the governor and the constitution.”
Impeachment proceedings have already been initiated against Governor Fubara as Nigerians await the outcome of the political drama in the prominent south-south state.
The trending video can be watched in full below:
Read more on Siminalayi Fubara:
- Fubara: APC asks Wike to resign as Tinubu's minister in fresh development
- Did Vice-President Shettima tell Wike that Fubara is Rivers APC leader? Here is what we know
- 2027 election: Wike mentions those deepening recent tension between him and Fubara
Rivers: Ex-NASS member tackles Fubara
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that as Governor Fubara faced mounting pressure, a former National Assembly (NASS) member, Senator Olaka Nwogu, said that all agreements with Wike intended to resolve the state’s political crisis “were flouted by the governor at one time or another.
Nwogu, who stated that he was part of a major meeting in 2025, Nwogu faulted the Rivers governor's integrity.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
