Two months after the suspension on democratic governance was lifted, the 16 members in Rivers House of Assembly and Governor Siminialayi Fubara appear to be reigniting old rivalry over some irreconcilable issues.
But speaking on the allegation, Mr Fubara dismissed the rumoured rift and explained that contrary to the claims, he had made arrangements to have a meeting with the lawmakers “soon.”
Mr Fubara spoke on Wednesday at the commissioning of the extended and dualised 28.4-kilometre Ahoada-Omoku Road, which was broadcast on TVC, a Lagos-based television station.
There were rumours that the governor had been avoiding the lawmakers because of the alleged rift between them.
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The governor explained that the plan was for his predecessor, the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, along with elder statesman Ferdinand Alabraba and other leaders, to convene the meeting.
“Anyone alleging that Fubara declined to meet with the lawmakers or rejected proposals relating to them is not telling the truth,” he said.
Gale of Defections
The alleged rift between Mr Fubara and the Rivers lawmakers became public shortly before the governor defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, December 9.
Fubara, who had held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Monday, December 8 defected to APC, took most politicians by surprise.
The crack came as the 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) last Friday, December 5.
Political analysts say that Federal Territory Capital Minister, Nyesom Wike and the Rivers lawmakers might have been by storm as it appeared the Governor did not inform them, an action could cause Wike’s camp to go for another round of crisis.
This was unlike other states that both Governors and members of the House of Assembly usually defect the same time, thus warding off probable rift between them.
The Rivers governor announced his defection to the APC at a meeting with some stakeholders at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He had said his decision to defect to the APC from the PDP was to enable him to offer “full support” to President Bola Tinubu, who is a member of the APC.
Mr Fubara’s defection came after a closed-door meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
The governor contended that his decision to join the APC was not driven by personal ambition, but rather a move to achieve peace in the state and ensure steady progress.
Amaewhule rejects Fubara’s statement
The conflict intensified when Speaker Martin Amaewhule publicly accused Fubara of deliberately “sidelining state lawmakers in the governance of the state.”
Amaewhule held an emergency press briefing late Thursday with 10 Assembly members, denouncing Governor Fubara’s earlier statement that he had been unable to meet with the lawmakers because FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had yet to convene such a meeting.
Amaewhule called Fubara’s statement “unnecessary and unfortunate.”
The Speaker alleged that, contrary to the Governor’s claims, it is Fubara who has not been disposed to working with the Assembly.
He further claimed that since taking office, the Governor has been spending funds from both the 2024 and 2025 appropriations without legislative approval.
Amaewhule explained that he chose to respond to Fubara’s allegation to prevent a recurring falsehood from being accepted as truth.
He accused the Governor of defaulting on all agreements reached with the Assembly and alleged that Fubara is “deliberately working tirelessly for another round of political crisis in the state.”
Amaewhule tasked Governor Fubara to rise up and be the “true leader which the Rivers people earnestly desire,” stating that the people have suffered enough due to the governor’s alleged “indolence.”
Recall that Fubara was reinstated as Rivers State Governor on September 17, 2025, after a six-month suspension following the declaration of emergency rule.
The suspension was lifted by President Bola Tinubu, who had declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18, 2025, due to a constitutional crisis.
Fubara’s reinstatement came into effect at midnight on September 17, 2025, and he, along with the deputy governor and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was expected to resume work on September 18, 2025.
