The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, 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.
The People’s Democratic Party powerbroker said Speaker Martins Amaewhule and other lawmakers in the Rivers Assembly are not Fubara’s boys and should be accorded some respect.
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, 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 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.
