Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has blamed the state lawmakers led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule for thwarting his full implementation of the February 28, 2025 Supreme Court ruling and warned that the state faces a difficult future due to the ongoing political tensions.
The governor’s warning came through the state Information and Communications Commissioner, Joseph Johnson who spoke to Journalists in his office in Port Harcourt on Monday and said that the lawmakers actions were making it impossible for him to carry out the court’s decision.
The warning came after the state legislators accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu of gross misconduct, signalling their intention to impeach the governor and his deputy.
The Information and Communications Commissioner explained the genesis of the political crisis rocking the state in the last 15 months and stressed that Governor Fubara remains committed to peace and wants to focus on the people’s needs instead of political crisis.
He assured that Governor Fubara would continue working to implement the judgment, adding that he is determined to serve the people and maintain peace, no matter the difficulties.
The Supreme Court gave a ruling on February 28, 2025, addressing major issues in the state, ordering the immediate withholding of the state’s federal revenue, the cancellation of local government elections held on October 5, 2024, and the need to represent the 2025 budget again.
Johnson pointed out that some parts of the ruling were unexpected and mentioned that the court’s comments on the issue of political defections, which were not officially raised in the case before the learned Jurists.
The warning also came amidst accusations from the state lawmakers that the governor was frustrating the implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgment, particularly the directive requiring him to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the lawmakers.
The lawmakers, loyal to the former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made the accusation through its Chairman, House Committee on Information and spokesperson, Dr Enemi Alabo George in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday.
Then on Monday, March 17, 2025 the state was awash with news of the planned notice of misconduct issued to the governor and his deputy by the Assemblymen, signalling their intention to impeach them.
Unknown to many in the state, the impeachment motion was moved on Friday by the majority leader of the House before their indefinite adjournment. And a day after, Wike in a Thanksgiving and grand reception in his honour on Saturday March 15, 2025 at Abalama told his supporters that he would not interfere with the duties of the lawmakers.
The reception held amidst opposition from the Kalabari ethnic Ijaws, with two other groups scheduling their own events on the same day and venue, forcing the community’s royal father to write security agencies to cancel all events for fear of violence and insecurity.
However, news reaching our news desk says that the trans West African gas pipeline at Bodo in Gokhana LGA of the state was on fire. The state Police command confirmed the report and said the command was investigating the incidence.
It would be recalled that some Niger Delta groups have warned of dire consequences if Gov Fubara is impeached. It could not be immediately confirmed if the gas pipeline fire is not unconnected to their warning or not.
