Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has expressed his disapproval of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s decision to write a letter to the state House of Assembly.
The letter, which sought a meeting with lawmakers to discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s political situation, was dismissed by Wike as “useless”.
Wike emphasized that Speaker Martins Amaewhule and the lawmakers are not under Fubara’s control and should be treated with respect.
He argued that instead of writing a public letter, Fubara should have directly contacted Amaewhule and his team by phone to arrange a meeting. Wike stated that the lawmakers are not Fubara’s subordinates and deserve respect.
The minister’s criticism comes after the Supreme Court made several rulings concerning the political situation in Rivers State on February 28.
The court recognized the Amaewhule-led assembly as the legitimate Rivers assembly and blocked the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial bodies from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government.
In response, Fubara promised to comply with the court’s decisions and instructed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission to organize a fresh election.
Further efforts to resolve the crisis continued as the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, sent a letter requesting a meeting with lawmakers on March 10.
The meeting is expected to address the 2025 budget and efforts to restore peace. However, Wike remains skeptical, stating that peace cannot be restored until the right thing is done.
“What is peace? What is more important than letting the right thing be done? When the right thing is done, there will be peace,” he said.
