The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, Nigeria, has escalated into a full-blown spectacle, threatening the stability of the oil-rich region. Despite efforts by stakeholders including President Bola Tinubu to address the issues and find a peaceful resolution, the situation continues to deteriorate.
Background
Rivers State has a history of political crises, often fueled by struggles for power and control over the state’s vast oil resources.
The current crisis began in 2023, when Governor Simi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, fell out over issues of governance, control of party structure and resource allocation.
The rift deepened when several commissioners and lawmakers loyal to Wike began to resign in droves thus threatening to truncate Fubaara’s government.
‘Inside the Rivers of Crisis’
Like most other states in Nigeria, Rivers is no stranger to political crises. However, the drama in Rivers has always been different.
From the rift between Rotimi Amaechi and Celestial Omeiha to the ego-driven feud that pitted Nyesom Wike against Rotimi Amaechi, and now, the ongoing showdown between Governor Fubara and Wike, these recurring supremacy battles have consistently plagued the state, undermining its stability and progress
The state’s oil wealth and strategic location have made it a hub of political activity, with various interest groups vying for control. The current crisis is a culmination of years of political tensions, which have finally boiled over.
‘Fubara Spits Fire’
On May 6, 2024, Governor Fubara declared that the Rivers House of Assembly, dominated by 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, did not exist. “Let me say it here: those groups of men who claim that they are assembly members, they do not exist; I want it to be on record,” the governor said while receiving a delegation from Bayelsa State led by former governor Senator Seriake Dickson.
“But I think it has gotten to a time when I need to make a statement on this thing so that they understand that they are not existing. Their existence and whatever they have been doing are because I allowed them to do so. If I don’t recognise them, they are nowhere; that is the truth,” the governor added.
‘The 27 Majority’
Predictably, Fubara’s statement was met with a swift response from the lawmakers, who accused him of trying to undermine the legislative arm of government. “We have directed members of the Rivers state House of Assembly to commence the impeachment process of the comatose government. The governor’s head has become bigger than his pillow. “He does not respect the law. He does anything he cares to do. We will not sit here as Rivers people to see Rivers state become a laughing stock in the community of states when we have a governor who does not know his left and his right,” said Chief Tony Okocha, chairman of the APC caretaker committee in Rivers at a press conference..
The 27 lawmakers, who defected from the ruling party to the opposition, claim Fubara’s actions are unconstitutional and aim to weaken the assembly. They argue that the governor’s move is a ploy to consolidate power and undermine the democratic process.
But reacting, the Rivers Commissioner for Information, Mr Joseph Johnson, said Okocha is not the Chairman of the APC in River States. He said the governor had been magnanimous to the lawmakers and the peace pact but that the 27 lawmakers lost their seats on the day they defected to another party.
‘ALGON Joins the Fray’
The Rivers State chapter of the Association of Local Government Areas of Nigeria (ALGON) has also joined the calls for Fubara’s impeachment, citing his alleged failure to release statutory allocations to the 23 local government councils since April 2024. ALGON chairman Allwell Ihunda accused the governor of neglecting his duties and refusing to hold the statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee meeting.
Clark Warns.
Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark has warned of imminent danger if the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, fails to intervene in the Rivers crisis. Clark noted that the situation is deteriorating rapidly and requires immediate attention from the federal authorities. While the cost of anarchy can only be imagined, all parties involved must work towards a peaceful resolution once and for all.
