The Rivers State House of Assembly (under the speaker, Martin Amaewhule) who secured the backing of the Supreme Court last Friday, February, 28, 2025, seems to move against Gov Sim Fubara with speed and strategies.
The lawmakers who commended the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for their successes in the Supreme court have written to Gov Fubara rejecting the governor’s directive to heads of local government administration (HLGAs) to take over from the councils in the face of the nullification of the October 5, 2024 elections.
The letter personally signed by Amaewhule reminded Fubara of the Supreme Court judgment of 2024 which he said prohibits heads of Local Government Administration (HLGA) or caretaker, or any other person except elected officials from taking over the LGAs.
Three groups are jostling to take over: the HLGAs as ordered by Gov Fubara; the Wike-backed council chairmen who hang on the tenure elongation they got from the Amaewhule House of Assembly; and the 2015 Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-backed council chairmen who won their case same Friday from the Court of Appeal to say their tenure was wrongfully terminated by then governor Wike.
The rejection of the HLGAs by the Amaewhule-led RSHA is set to throw more spanners into the works in an already troubled state.
The letter to the governor further reminded him that the Supreme Court rulings of February 28, 2025, halted spending by Rivers State Government from the Consolidated Revenue Fund until the state’s budget is approved. The letter directed thus: “You are therefore requested to submit the 2025 budget within 48 hours to the Rivers State House of Assembly under Martin Amaewhule.”
Read also: Brace up for more turbulence – Gov Fubara charges Rivers people, but assures of triumph
Many say what was before the Supreme Court was the 2024 budget, not the 2025 one.
As the governor indicated intention to comply with the Supreme Court ruling by conducting another election in the local council areas, Amaewhule announced that the RSHA is to commence amendment of LGA Law No 5 of 2018 and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Law No 2 of 2018 for fresh elections.
By this, observers believe the House may introduce clauses that would take away every power of the governor in the elections. The battle was on who would supervise the election in October 2024. The Wike camp wanted to be in control so as to deliver new chairmen that would be on seat to manage the communities in the 2027 elections. It is believed that whoever would control the grassroots (LGAs) would deliver the governor, lawmakers, and president. Wike has since boasted of how Fubara would never return.
Fubara said he would study the Supreme Court rulings and make his position known on March 7, 2025, but the Amaewhule-led RSHA in the letter to him on Monday, March 3, 2025, notified him they would proceed same day (March 7, 2025) on 12 weeks recess.
This is seen as a way of undercutting Fubara in whatever he would come up with on March 7, 2025. It would also be impossible for the governor to submit the 2025 budget (should he want to do so) after the 48 hours. Many say this is to ensure that the governor does not escape from impeachable offence on the issue of budget submission.
Amaewhule however said the House he led does not want Rivers people to suffer due to stoppage of the allocations and thus urged the governor to act quickly.
It seems thus clear that the battle ahead would be on who to be blamed for the expected sufferings of the people from scarcity of funds.
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