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Tag: Fubara

  • Fubara’s Samson syndrome

    Fubara’s Samson syndrome

    The battle in the George Nwaeke household epitomises the fever in Rivers State. Rarely does one family unfurl the story of a society and a nation. For such dreams painters brush, novelists fantasise, playwrights dramatise and even biographers recall. They try to weave a social trend through the thread of a home, a family, an incident. For epic poets, history has given a lot of fodder, like Sundiata, Shaka, Ogunmola, Nana of Itsekiri, et al. Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman erupted from a historical moment.

    As the country comes to terms with the state of emergency and its aftermath, the Nwaeke family opened a window. We see the wife Florence in hysteria about a N15 billion blackmail. Around her, persons say nothing but look either in horror or approval, or in mockery of both quiet sentiments.

    She is, at that moment, a desperate wife, a romantic, social activist. To others, she is a Nollywood wannabe, a political hireling, the new face of the Fubara antic. She goes on, against the background of a high-tone furniture, as though she wants to crawl on the floor. But she does not. Her husband, Dr. Nwaeke, and head of service who resigned, has flown to Abuja. He replies his wife in public. This must be a precedent. The family washing its dirty linen in public. It is like the political family of the PDP. Wike and Fubara deny each other.

    The man says he is a former insider of the Fubara political machine. He saw all the workings of the former governor. His details are unflinching. He says the bombing that many saw as the casus belli for declaring a state of emergency was going to be a teaser, the first of many bombings that would turn the state into a sprawl of fire. It would stagnate the state and country. What did he mean? That Fubara wanted to reignite the ‘we tie’ inferno of the First Republic. In the Western Region, there were no oil pipelines. Fires and smoke repainted the streets in death and blood. Fire was mythicized, spat out by the gods. Juju was an oven conjured by babalawos. Streets became ovens. If the Rivers case was to torch oil, juju toasted the cars and houses and political enemies in the wild, wild west. It was wild, wild waste.

    Dr. Nwaeke was saying that Fubara had a Samson psyche. He wanted to pull down the Nigerian state, and possibly make the army come. Nwaeke charged Fubara of treason, of trying to overthrow our democracy. Was that what he meant when he told the youths that they would get instruction at the right time? Was this a case of a man who wanted to pull down the state if the state did not have him?

    No one has had this kind of charge since the treasonable felony against Awo in the First Republic? Fubara is no Awo, not in insights, stature or moral fibre. But Fubara had the resources to do it. The Department of State Security (DSS) ought to look into it. They ought to fight for the facts. Fubara has denied these allegations, and if they are not true, then, Dr. Nwaeke is the culprit.

    Nwaeke relayed his facts like a good raconteur, the late nights, the comings and goings in the state house, the dialogues, the names. We cannot forget graphic details of money, bags of money, in dollars hauled in and out.

    He said Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed came along, and Fubara wanted to back a northerner like him to confront a Tinubu second crack at the presidency. He also spoke of the funding of media and social media influencers to shape the narrative. Of course, we are aware of the television lawyers who were dead from the neck up when Fubara bombed the icon of legislature, the House of Assemby. They were dead from the neck up when he overthrew a branch of government and made four men the lawmakers, and pooh-poohed the constitution and the 27 men who were legitimate. They lost their tongues when he signed a budget in defiance of the law and built a cabinet on nothing. The lawyers goaded him on. PANDEF, especially under Edwin Clark, gave him the ballast while blasting his opponents and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

    Was it therefore true that all these persons were just working for money, and they did not believe in the Fubara cause? Look at it. These persons are now silent. No money to bomb pipelines and houses. They are not saying anything anymore. They are not organizing. The only person who dared was Governor Diri of Bayelsa State who posed as representing the Southsouth governors. When did they hold a meeting? Where did they meet? Who was present? Where is the communique? Who signed it? No wonder Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo called him out and he has remained mum.

    Read Also: Rivers Emergency: Fubara misses the point

    The elders, including Peter Odili, who was an elder in name and age but not as sage, are not saying anything. Is it a confirmation of Dr. Nwaeke’s assertion that it was all fueled by filthy lucre. The words and agitation have quieted because the bags have stopped coming. The man in charge, Vice admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has shut the door. If we must hold the elders and the political folks and even the youths and social media responsible, we must not forget the lawyers. Shakespeare asserts, “the first thing we do, let’s kill the lawyers.” I am saying even if it is the last thing, the lawyers are not without guilt in fueling Fubara to fury. They all shooed him off the cliff. Humpty dumpty and what a great fall!All the king’s men…

    But it is an insight to the place of flattery and selfish prodding that men in office go through. They are turned into what Bertolt Brecht painted in his play, The Good Woman of Setzuan. The gods give a poor woman money and she becomes popular and everyone wants something from her. But generosity is becoming a problem, and she takes a disguise of ruthless business man, and that makes her new character unpopular and they want to stone her to death. Fubara is an example of the good woman who cannot turn bad and is wrecked by being “good.” A character says “I’d like to be good but there’s the rent to pay.”

    We have a democracy of rentiers and the rentiers wrecked Fubara through blandishments and favours. There is a place for generosity in a democracy, but not one powered by liars and frauds. The lawyers, elders, media rentiers and politicians steamrolled Rivers State into the state of emergency. They were the bones and muscles and bloodstream in the personality. Fubara just gave the roar, and he roared into perdition.

    Democracy must work with good persons though, in the line of Goethe, “Noble be man, merciful and good.”

    For the state to return to its quiet times of democracy, nobility is the key, not frivolity.

  • Rivers ex-HoS, wife make counter claims as Fubara refutes allegations

    Rivers ex-HoS, wife make counter claims as Fubara refutes allegations

    • Nwaeke says he’s safe; dismisses wife’s fears he’s been kidnapped
    • Claims part of desperate attempts to discredit me, says gov
    • Bamidele: NASS prevented descent to anarchy in Rivers
    • Says parliament should be commended, not vilified

    The political crisis in Rivers State turned dramatic late Friday hours after the immediate past Head of Service (HoS), Dr. George Nwaeke, accused the suspended Governor Siminilayi Fubara of masterminding the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex, among other allegations.

    Nwaeke and his wife, Florence, were engaged in counter claims after a call the latter put through to Governor Fubara, claiming that the former HoS acted under duress, was “in trouble” and she had not heard from him despite repeated efforts to reach him on the phone.

    She accused a former Commissioner for Power in Rivers State, Prof. Henry Ogiri, of inviting her husband to Abuja.

    Fubara issued a rebuttal in the early hours of yesterday.

    He said Nwaeke had been compromised to make the allegations, asking Nigerians to disregard the allegations.

    Ogiri dismissed Mrs. Nwaeke’s claims that he invited the former HoS to Abuja, saying he had spoken with Nwaeke only once since November 2023.

    Nwaeke himself responded from Abuja to his wife’s and Fubara’s allegations against him.

    He said he stood by what he said on Friday, adding that he was neither compromised nor kidnapped.

    He said that contrary to his wife’s fears, he was safe in Abuja.

    He said he went to Abuja to voluntarily report himself to security agencies over the ongoing crisis in Rivers State.

    The former HoS spoke in a trending video.

    His words: “I am in Transcorp Abuja. I arrived this morning from Port Harcourt to meet security agencies and report myself, as well as the troubling events happening in Rivers State.

    “I resigned as Head of Service on Monday because of these developments.”

    To his wife, he said: “I just saw a video of my wife trending. She was told I had been kidnapped and given a script to read.

    “I want to make it clear—I am not kidnapped. I am in Abuja, working.

    “When I was Head of Service, my wife was not involved in my official duties. That script she read is null and void. I am safe and sound.

    “I will report myself to the appropriate security agencies because Abuja houses their headquarters, and I feel safer making my report here.”

    A sobbing Florence Nwaeke had in her telephone conversation with Fubara late Friday called for help to locate her husband following his allegations against Governor Fubara.

    She expressed apprehension over his safety following her inability to reach him on the phone.

    She said someone asked him to come to Abuja and that she later saw her husband granting an interview.

    She said: “When he got to Abuja, he called that he had landed. I said, ‘Thank God.’

    Read Also: At 73, President Tinubu’s acts of compassion in leadership

    She said the viral video of her husband’s revelation was suspicious.

    “That is not my husband. That is not my husband,” she said.

     “So I sent him a message. I said, ‘Are you under duress?’ I sent him a message. I said, ‘Have they kidnapped you? Talk to me now. Why are you not talking to me?’ This is the message I sent to him when I saw his interview online.

    “Oh, Jesus, help me. Nigerians, help me. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble.

    “Look at the message I sent to him. See the message I sent to him. I said, ‘Daddy, why? Were you in hostage?’ I said ‘Why didn’t you talk to me?’

    “These are the messages I sent to him, but he didn’t reply me. His numbers are not going through. Nigerians, help me! Nigerians, help me!’

    She also begged Fubara to “help me.”

    “Governor, help me. My husband is in trouble. He is in trouble,” she kept screaming, to which Fubara responded: “Despite all I have done for you people, is this how you will pay me back?”

    He then promised to do something about the woman’s request.

    “All I know is that in this life, if you do good, you will reap it, if you do bad, you will reap,” the governor said.

    Ogiri counters Nwaeke’s wife’s claims on husband’s whereabouts

    Prof. Ogiri in his own statement said: “The woman in the viral video was accusing me of putting a call from Abuja across to her husband and had asked that the husband come over to Abuja so we can discuss certain matters.

    “She even alleged that I offered to pay for the flight ticket of the husband. Who is supposed to pay for whose ticket?

    “More worrying is the fact that the woman is asking her interviewers to tell Ogiri from Abuja to bring her husband back to her.

    “Nothing can be further from the truth. That was a poorly rehearsed theatrics.

    “While Dr George Nwaeke is my friend and a professional colleague, we have only spoken once since I left the Rivers State cabinet in November 2023.

    “I think that should be late last year or early this year.”

    Ogiri explained that he came to Port Harcourt from Abuja on the 28th of February 2025, the day the Supreme Court gave judgment on Rivers, and had not travelled out of Rivers since then.

    He added: “I have been working at our PH office while also preparing for the burial of my foster father, which took place last Saturday, 22nd of March 2025.

    “I haven’t spoken with Dr George Nwaeke since the Supreme Court judgment. And if this allegation was from Dr. George Nwaeke himself, then I would have viewed this from a different perspective.

    “However, thank God telephone service providers are able to provide call logs as well as conversations thereon. And airlines are also able to provide evidence to contradict my claim of having not travelled out of Rivers State in the last one month.

    “While we wait to see how the unfolding drama and tissue of lies play out, I urge my relatives, friends, supporters, associates, leaders and the general public to rest assured that the truth shall be unveiled in no time.”

    Fubara: Ignore Nwaeke’s claims; he’s been compromised

    Governor Fubara, responding to Nwaeke’s allegations, denied them all.

    He said: “Ordinarily, I would not have responded to his claims, but to correct the erroneous impression such allegations may create in the minds of the people, and the disaffection it is bound to cause in the state and the country.

    “First, on the claim that he was aware of my discussions and plans to support Bala Mohammed’s alleged 2027 presidential bid, it is laughable that Dr. Nwaeke would be part of any high level political meeting as Head of Service, much more sitting in my alleged night meetings with Bala Mohammed and militants like he claimed. Howbeit, none of such meetings ever held.

    “The truth is that the whole world knew when the Bauchi State Governor, as Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum visited the state, and there was nothing secret about the visits.

    “It is also ludicrous for Dr. Nwaeke to claim that he was aware of my meetings to encourage attacks on oil pipelines and other national assets in the state, as there was no time I held any meeting with militants or any criminal group to destabilise the state.

    “It is on record that I have been at the forefront preaching peace in the state even in the face of obvious provocations.

    “The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me.

    “I call on all well meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President.”

    Attached to his response was a screenshot of alleged chats between Mr Nwaeke and the governor’s Chief of Staff, Ederson Ehie.

    Some of the chats suggested that Nwaeke made financial support requests from Ehie.

      Nwaeke had thanked President Bola Tinubu for “a swift intervention in Rivers State crisis especially on the state of emergency that was declared and assented to by the National Assembly.”

    He said Nigeria would have faced the worst economic sabotage and Rivers State would have been up in flames but for the president’s intervention.

    His words:”First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly where the Governor, Siminilayi Fubara, directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the assembly in a way to avert his impeachment.

    “That evening, Edison was in Government House with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, one Chijioke. I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside.

    “I want to tell Rivers people today that the house of assembly complex in Moscow Road was clearly brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Gov Siminilayi Fubara.

    “I challenge him to an open confrontation and I will throw more light on it.

    “A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I know the power of a sitting governor and he knew that I am aware of the whole plan and that I am discomforted with the unconscionable act and deliberate posture of innocence and mien of a sheep.”

    He also alleged that another attempt was made to “destroy the residential quarters of the house of assembly members.”

    Continuing, he said: “If not for the press conference that was made there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.

    “I came to realise that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because after some weeks, he personally told me that if he knew early he would have gone to pull down their hall before visiting the residential quarters of the assembly and that he didn’t actually know that they had such a beautiful hall where they are using now for their sitting.

    “I was shocked and I asked myself how could a man that wants to lead his people be destroying his state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight.”

    Nwaeke appealed to critics of the declaration of emergency rule by President Tinubu to retract their statements, saying without the urgent intervention, a lot of things would have gone wrong in the state.

    Such critics, according to him, “are only seeing the surface. If the President did not take proactive step, no one knows who would have been affected by the sinister plans that were cooking.”

    He asked the President “not to give up on Rivers State affairs because a lot are going on there with Governor Fubara.”

    Bamidele: NASS prevented descent into anarchy in Rivers

    Reviewing the events that culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele yesterday said the National Assembly really had no option but to ratify the President’s action.

    He said the federal lawmakers deserved commendation for taking the decision to save the state from anarchy.

    Speaking at the 29th convocation of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State where he was decorated with a honorary degree, Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa), Bamidele said an emergency “is an extraordinary measure, and it must be treated as such in the interest of peace and without subjecting to the scrutiny of some parochial interests.”

    “What exactly do we want as a people, a federation that functions for all or a federation that relapses into an intractable crisis?

    “We must recognise that emergency rule is an extraordinary measure, and it must be treated as such in the interest of peace and security,” he said.

    “As stipulated in Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the National Assembly is required to provide its details. The provisions of the 1999 Constitution cannot be interpreted casually without proper understanding of the Nigeria Interpretation Act 2004.

    “As a responsible and responsive parliament that sees peace and stability as a catalyst of growth and development, we were inaugurated into office to promote a nation that works for all and that guarantees the peaceful coexistence of all.

    “This desire defines our resolve to ratify the proclamation of the state of emergency in Rivers State with far-reaching provisions. One of such provisions is the constitution of the National Peace Committee to midwife the peace process between the Executive and the Legislature in the state.

    “We should be commended for this laudable initiative and not be vilified by some political actors, who do not bother about what happens to our national security but about their parochial interests.

    “Regardless of their unpatriotic moves, we firmly stand for the peace and stability of Nigeria.

    “We shall continue to leverage the Authority of the National Assembly to guarantee her peaceful co-existence.

    “Our decision as an institution is taken purely in the national interest. If any interest is unsatisfied with it, they can as well seek redress in the law court.”

    He expressed shock at the attacks on the National Assembly by opposition parties, noting that the reasons for such attacks “are purely based on emotion and not reasons; sentiment and not substance.

    “Regardless of baseless and needless attacks our critics are throwing at the National Assembly, we are undeterred because we are truly on a rescue mission.

    “The essence of the mission aims at bringing our fatherland from the abyss of regression to the path of progression through the enactment of pro-people legislations and by cultivating strategic collaboration with other arms of government.

    “Collaboration in this sense does not suggest the erosion of the independence of the National Assembly for any reason. Rather, in reality, it reinforces the spirit of interdependence that constitutional democracy entails in order to resolve hydra-headed issues that often clog the mechanism of accountable governance,” he said

    Bamidele said the National Assembly, more than before, “is now focused on building a federation that enjoys internal stability and that rests solidly on the rules of law through the instrumentality of legislation, oversight and representation.

    “We are also committed to creating a system that will enable quality education; that will guarantee limitless placements for all our graduates; that will prioritise access to decent houses nationwide; that will significantly reverse our nation’s reports of untold misery and that will, most importantly, remove all barriers to gender inequality.

    “How can our nation attain this lofty status without a strategic collaboration being forged among various arms of government? This is the exact question that our hardened critics have failed to ask themselves.

    “Anyway, we have left them to their politically motivated attacks.”

    Bamidele received the honour yesterday alongside Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr. Zacch Adedeji and Chairman, Governing Board, Bank of Industry, Dr. Mansur Muhtar, thus making it the third honorary doctorate he had received between January 2003 and March 2025.

    The convocation was attended by President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jubril Barau; Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Lola Ashiru; Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, among others.

  • Rivers Mandate Group slams Nwaeke over claims against Fubara

    Rivers Mandate Group slams Nwaeke over claims against Fubara

    The Rivers Mandate Group (RMG) has denounced recent allegations leveled against suspended the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara by George Nwaeke, a former Head of the State Civil Service, calling them a desperate and poorly executed attempt to tarnish the governor’s reputation.

    In a statement signed by its president, Pastor Godknows John, the group dismissed Nwaeke’s claims as unfounded and driven by political motives.

    “A viral video that surfaced online has cast serious doubt on the authenticity of Nwaeke’s claims,” the statement read. “In the footage, Nwaeke is seen being handed a prepared script, while a voice in the background instructs him to ‘read from the script I wrote,’ followed by the command ‘Action.’ This exposes the so-called press conference as nothing more than a staged act.”

    According to RMG, the video reveals a carefully choreographed attempt to mislead the public. 

    “This is not a whistleblower’s revelation but a scripted performance by desperate political actors bent on tarnishing Governor Fubara’s reputation,” the group added.

    The organisation accused Nwaeke of participating in a larger scheme to destabilise the state and pave the way for external political interference.

    “Nwaeke remained silent while in office, only to suddenly ‘remember’ these allegations after his resignation. Where was his conscience all this time? If he had genuine evidence, why didn’t he report it to the appropriate security agencies? Why now, and why through a staged performance in an Abuja hotel room?” Pastor John queried.

    RMG also noted a revealing twist: Nwaeke’s wife, Florence, has publicly distanced herself from his claims, disclosing that she lost contact with him after he granted the controversial interview.

    The group called on the public to disregard Nwaeke’s statements, describing them as part of a broader agenda to create instability in Rivers State.

    “Even his wife, Florence Nwaeke, has raised the alarm, saying she does not recognise the man in that interview. She has asked Nigerians to help her find her husband, whose numbers are no longer going through. This is a clear sign that he is acting under pressure,” the statement added.

    The group described the allegations as reckless propaganda, warning that Rivers people would not be deceived by such desperate tactics.

    “This attempt to falsely implicate Governor Fubara is dead on arrival. Rivers people will not be dragged into this scripted crisis. We call on security agencies to investigate those behind this plot and put an end to these political games,” the statement added.

    The group urged residents to remain calm and not fall for what it called an orchestrated political circus designed to mislead the public.

  • How Fubara ordered bombing of Rivers Assembly, by ex-Head of Service

    How Fubara ordered bombing of Rivers Assembly, by ex-Head of Service

    • Says suspended gov plotted Tinubu’s downfall through pipeline bombings

    • ‘Fubara ordered Ehie to pull down Assembly to avert impeachment’

    • Nwaeke links Bala Mohammed to sinister plot against President

    • Says emergency saved Rivers, Nigeria from major disaster

    The immediate past Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, yesterday gave what appears to be yet the most revealing insider’s account of some of the events that culminated in the March 18 suspension of Governor Siminilayi Fubara and the state Assembly for six months.

    Nwaeke, who claimed to have been an eyewitness to some of the actions taken by Fubara, spoke of how the suspended governor allegedly plotted the destruction of the State House of Assembly and economic sabotage to ensure the downfall of President Bola Tinubu.

    Nwaeke, in a video press conference and a statement, claimed that Fubara masterminded the bombing of the state House of Assembly, using his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie.

    Nwaeke was appointed as head of service by Fubara.

    He said he was prompted to set the records straight following “the loads of misinformation on print and electronic media.”

    He said he was not sacked neither or pressured to resign but resigned “willingly from the depth of my heart.”

    He said: ”However, as an insider and a key player in this administration by my position, who worked closely with Siminilayi Fubara, it will be unfair for me to keep silent or not to address some key factors that has affected or will affect our state if we continue on this trajectory.”

    He thanked the President for “a swift intervention in Rivers State crisis, especially on the state of emergency that was declared and assented to by the National Assembly.”

    He added: “You will recall that when the governor was suspended, as the head of service, I was the next in command. So I am not speaking from outside, I am speaking as an insider.

    “If not for the intervention of Mr. President, Nigeria would have faced the worst economic sabotage and Rivers State would have been up in flames.

    “First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly where the Governor, Siminilayi Fubara, directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the assembly in a way to avert his impeachment.

    “That evening, Edison was in Government House with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, one Chijioke. I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside.

    “I want to tell Rivers people today that the House of Assembly complex in Moscow Road was clearly brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminilayi Fubara, I challenge him to an open confrontation and I will throw more light on it.

    “A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I know the power of a sitting governor and he knew that I am aware of the whole plan and that I am discomforted with the unconscionable act and deliberate posture of innocence and mien of a sheep.”

    He also alleged that another attempt was made to “destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members.”

    Continuing, he said: “If not for the press conference that was held there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.

    “I came to realise that they actually wanted to demolish that second building, because after some weeks, he personally told me that if he knew early, he would have gone to pull down their hall before visiting the residential quarters of the assembly, and that he didn’t actually know that they had such a beautiful hall where they are using now for their sitting.

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    “I was shocked and I asked myself how could a man that wants to lead his people be destroying his state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight.”

    Nwaeke appealed to critics of the declaration of emergency rule by President Tinubu to retract their statements, saying without the urgent intervention, a lot of things would have gone wrong in the state.

    Such critics, according to him, ”are only seeing the surface. If the President did not take proactive step, no one knows who would have been affected by the sinister plans that were cooking.”

    He asked the President “not to give up on Rivers State affairs because a lot is going on there with Governor Fubara.”

    He said one of the factors  that “got me removed was when Governor Fubara told me that they would use the Ijaw to decide who would become the next president of Nigeria, and I asked him how will that work? Is it by votes or by what means?”

    On alleged plan to shoot down the second term of President Tinubu, Nwaeke said: “He clearly told me that he is the chief security officer of Rivers State and his brother is in charge of Bayelsa State, and all the pipelines are under their care; that at the appropriate time, they would tell the boys what to do, and fund was not an issue.

    “That was why when he made that statement in his public function that “I will tell the boys what to do at the appropriate time” I knew something was up and perhaps the time was near.

    “He boasted to be the ‘David that will bring down the Goliath of Rivers State.’ That he has the backing of the cream-de-la cream in the state.

    “The plan was to start from non-Ijaw speaking areas to destroy oil facilities to remove attention from the Ijaw and make it have a statewide look. The Ogoni, Oyibo, Ahoda areas were to be bombed first before the Ijaw zones. This would have brought down the government of President Tinubu and usher in a new President from the coalition of political parties with a Vice President from the Ijaw.

    “The media was to be captured by paying heavily for airtime and retaining the social media influencers and known social critics on their payroll.

    “I am not unaware of what this revelation means, but I am doing this to free my conscience and warn those innocent persons that are used to sway public sentiment that there is more than meets the eye in the Rivers matter.

    “Sometimes I slept over in Government House. But I started being uncomfortable when Governor Bala Mohammed and some other stakeholders started nocturnal visits to Rivers State.

    “I recall after one of such visits he told me that he would support Bala Mohammed or any other northerner for president; that discussions were ongoing.

    “Although I was not bothered about whom he supports, I was more concerned about the quantum of state resources that he releases to these visitors at each visit.”

    Nwaeke asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to call their Rivers labour leaders to order to avoid politicising labour in the state.

    He said he was privy to several private meetings between the governor and labour leaders in the state and the largesse that accompanied each meeting to compromise the Labour Union.

    “More worrisome is several meetings between the governor, his chief of staff and some militant leaders. The details of which meetings I was not privy to since I was not allowed into the meetings.

    “However, each meeting ended with huge sums of money paid to attendees.”

    He said Rivers people and the generality of Nigerians are “the beneficiary of the declaration of state of emergency rule in Rivers State and not Governor Fubara or Minister Wike.”

    He stressed the need for the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), to “step up his guards and be very vigilant, because I am aware of the sinister arrangement and dastardly plans to continue to hatch their plans if not put in check.”

    He said: “This accounts for the organised media condemnations and seeming public outcry against Mr. President and National Assembly.

    “Those who love democracy and humanity will always protect humanity and democracy. Mr. President, you have just protected democracy and humanity in Rivers State. I can now sleep with my conscience clear.”

    Wike slams NBA for ‘hypocrisy’ on state of emergency

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike yesterday faulted the Nigeria Bar Association’s (NBA) stance that the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers by President Bola Tinubu was unconstitutional and illegal.

    Wike alleged that the NBA discredited Tinubu’s decision because the Rivers Government had promised to host its annual general conference.

    The minister stated this when officials of the Body of Benchers, led by its Chairman, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), visited him in Abuja.

    He added that the association did not support the declaration of the state of emergency because there would be no money to give to the NBA for the conference.

    “What kind of hypocrisy is this?” he queried.

    The minister called on the Body of Benchers to call the NBA to order over the association’s unnecessary criticism of the judiciary.

    He said that the body should not sit and watch, while the NBA and its members destroy the legal profession.

    He said that some of the members of NBA, often without reading a judgement, go on national television to condemn the judgment and criticise the judges.

    He said that such actions have continued with no sanction.

    “If you don’t discipline somebody, nobody will learn any lesson.

    “We shall no longer allow our profession to be pulled down. I cannot believe, as a lawyer, that you make a contribution to help the legal profession, and you will be criticised by your fellow lawyers.

    “Sir, time has come that we need to say look, enough is enough. We cannot continue to discourage our judges and justices. It is not done anywhere.

    “I have never seen where members of a profession are the ones that are bent on bringing the profession down,” he said.

    The minister also accused the NBA of describing any support rendered by the executive arm of government to the judicial arm as a bribe.

    Wike recalled that when NBA was building its National Secretariat, the leadership wrote to the executive for support, adding that nobody saw that as a bribe.

    “I was the only one who contributed to the NBA to build the National Secretariat. The NBA didn’t see it as a bribe.

    “When you contribute to the Body of Benchers, it is a bribe, but when you contribute to NBA, it is not a bribe, they will take it.

    “The same NBA will rely on state governments to sponsor their activities, but when the state government supports the judiciary it is bribery,” he added.

    Wike said that the constant taunting of judges and justices had made them to avoid attending social gatherings or going to church or mosque for fear of molestation.

    He added that judges could no longer shake people’s hands freely because lawyers would accuse them of collecting bribes.

    “It has gotten to the stage that our Judges are so scared of going to a mosque or church or even  greeting somebody they know because of fear of bribery.

    “They run away from shaking people’s hands because they will start accusing them of collecting bride. This must stop,” he said

  • Group dismisses alleged attempt to link Fubara with violence, explosion in Rivers 

    Group dismisses alleged attempt to link Fubara with violence, explosion in Rivers 

    The Rivers Vanguard has condemned what it calls a politically motivated attempt to link the suspended governor Siminalayi Fubara with violence and unrest in Rivers State, warning that such accusations are aimed at misleading the public.

    Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the group’s president, Dr. Simon Odili, dismissed efforts to associate Fubara with recent acts of sabotage as baseless and unfair. He emphasized that the governor remains committed to peace and effective governance despite the political turbulence in the state.

    “The allegations being circulated to implicate Governor Fubara in violent incidents are nothing more than a calculated attempt to tarnish his reputation,” Odili said. “Those pushing this false narrative seek to justify unconstitutional actions against a democratically elected leader.”

    The group also refuted reports claiming Fubara’s involvement in a purported gas explosion in Rivers State, clarifying that investigations had confirmed no such incident occurred. 

    It accused political actors of spreading misinformation to create unrest and undermine public trust.

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    “There was no explosion. There was no sabotage. What we are witnessing is a dangerous trend where lies are weaponized to serve political interests. Rivers people must remain vigilant and resist these deceptive tactics,” Odili added.

    The group’s reaction follows President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, which suspended Governor Fubara and appointed a retired vice-admiral as sole administrator. 

    The Rivers Vanguard described the federal government’s move as a blow to democracy and urged a reconsideration of the decision, which has already drawn dissatisfaction from many residents.

    “The people of Rivers are not happy with this imposition. You cannot sideline an elected governor and hand over the state’s leadership to an unelected appointee without consequences. The world is watching.”

    The group further called on security agencies to resist being used as tools for political persecution, warning against any attempt to clamp down on citizens expressing their views.

    “We urge security agencies to remain neutral and uphold the constitution. Rivers people have the right to question actions they see as unjust. Silencing them will only deepen resentment,” he added.

    The Rivers Vanguard also called for unity among residents, stressing the need to remain vigilant in the face of political maneuvering.

    “This is not a time for division. We must stay focused and ensure that democracy is not hijacked in Rivers State,” the group admonished.

  • Set up committee to reconcile Wike, Fubara, Ikwerre begs Tinubu 

    Set up committee to reconcile Wike, Fubara, Ikwerre begs Tinubu 

    The umbrella body of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC) Worldwide, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a committee to reconcile the political dispute between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Chief Nyesom Wike and suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

    IPC, in a statement by its chairman, Livingstone Wechie;  Vice-Chairman, Ihunwo Obi-Wali and Secretary-General, Stanley Nworgu, said the committee should be high powered with members drawn from eminent leaders and stakeholders.

    “This is with a view to immediately restore the democratic order in Rivers state in the best interest of Nigeria and for the better legacy of President Bola Tinubu”, the statement said.

    The group said it was concerned about the dismantling of the democratic structure in the state, saying it had given the state a bad image.

    The statement said: ” Mr. President, the message you sent has been passed through your intervention but Rivers people must not suffer a shortlived democracy for any reason because we have paid our dues despite this political imbroglio.

    The IPac said it disagreed with the President over the constitutional justification of the suspension of the Governor and the Rivers State House of Assembly.

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    ” We believe that Mr. President is motivated by the aspiration of Nigerians on this matter and that he is committed to take steps to solve than escalate the matter. It is doubtless that we did not bargain for this unfortunate development and the innocent populace in Rivers should not be punished for it as in this circumstance.

    “Whereas as a people we are unhappy with the unwarranted political feud among the two sides, Ikwerre people are worried about the false image now created about our dear state which has now led to serious capital flights, fears of uncertainty among citizens, loss of investors confidence among others.

    “Rivers people are very desperate to have their democratic rights restored so they can enjoy the liberty of the democracy the voted for that should be accountable to the masses. All we want is a government we can call our own”.

  • Fear not, Ehie tells Fubara’s supporters

    Fear not, Ehie tells Fubara’s supporters

    The suspended Chief of Staff in Rivers State, Edison Ehie, has told supporters of his boss, Siminalayi Fubara, not to be afraid.

    Ehie, who was among the political appointees, suspended with immediate effect on Wednesday by the Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas, referred the supporters of the Governor to Zechariah 4.7.

    Ehie, in the cryptic message on his verified Facebook page, attracted many positive comments from the supporters of Fubara known as the Simplified Movement. Zechariah 4:7, which Ehie quoted said: “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Ze·rubʹba·bel you will become a level land. And he will bring out the top stone amid shouts of: ‘How wonderful! How wonderful!’

    Ehie was the Leader of the House of Assembly at the genesis of the protracted political crisis that led to the declaration of the ongoing emergency rule in the state.

    He was Fubara’s foot soldier and confidant in the House but suspended with other three lawmakers that supported the Governor by the Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly 

    Ehie was the one, who declared the seats of other lawmakers vacant when they allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Read Also: Ibas fires Fubara’s political appointees

    The declaration polarised the House and led to parallel sittings, which halted for a while when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened in the crisis and raised seven-point peace agreement, which the warring parties vowed to implement.

    After the peace accord, Ehie resigned his membership of the House of Assembly and was later appointed the Chief of Staff by Fubara.

    But when the accord collapsed, the party’s returned to the trenches and the pro-Fubara’s lawmakers re-invoked the declaration of vacant seats, went to the court and continued their parallel sitting.

    Ehie’s cryptic message attracted many positive and some negatives comments from readers, who either hailed him or abused him.

    Emem Chigozie commented: “We are resolute, undeterred and unwaveringly determined for the victory of evil over good is temporal.”

    Queen Ideozu responded: “We are all fighting a righteous fight and God is with us, He never said goodbye to the righteous, Governor Sim Fubara will be victorious at the end of the tunnel.”

    But Clever Nwazim said: “My brother, you can not mock God. Live your life and stop quoting bible you don’t practice”.

  • ‘Fubara erroneously implicated in pre-state of emergency proclamation security issues’

    ‘Fubara erroneously implicated in pre-state of emergency proclamation security issues’

    The Coalition of Human Rights Monitoring Group said suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara was erroneously implicated in security issues that led to the declaration of Emergency Rule in the State.

    The group, in a report on the crisis in Rivers, also cleared Fubara of allegations linking him to militant groups responsible for pipeline vandalism and security breaches in the state.

    The report, mad available to journalists in a briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, thoroughly debunked claims that Fubara has ties to militant factions, describing the allegations as “politically motivated fabrications” designed to destabilise his administration.

    The Coalition of Human Rights Monitoring Group’s investigation revealed no evidence of financial transactions or operational links between the state government and known militant factions.

    According to the report, the allegations against Governor Fubara are part of a broader pattern of democratic subversion in Nigeria’s volatile political landscape.

    The report accused Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of fueling tensions in Rivers State.

     The Coalition, in the report, recommended the immediate cessation of political hostilities, the withdrawal of security forces in Rivers State and the initiation of independent investigations into allegations of militancy.

    The report also noted that communities where the alleged incidents were reported have come forward to refute the claims, assuring the public that oil and gas facilities in their areas remain secure and operational.

    The report alleged the allegations against Governor Fubara appear to be politically motivated fabrications.

    The report added: “It is abundantly clear to us, and to the world that Governor Siminalayi Fubara has no verifiable links to militant groups operating within Rivers State, or the Niger Delta at large.

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    “We are convinced that the allegations against him appear to be politically motivated, fueled by power struggles and deep-seated rivalries rather than grounded in any factual basis.  This report has methodically dismantled the unfounded allegations against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, exposing them as politically motivated fabrications.

    “The real instigators of instability in Rivers State are those who prioritise personal vendettas over public welfare. It is, therefore, imperative for all stakeholders within Nigeria and in the international community, to recognize the dangerous implications of weaponizing baseless accusations for political expediency.

    “The attempt to malign Governor Fubara’s character through such claims is not only an attack on his personal integrity but also an affront to the democratic values that Nigeria professes to uphold.

    “The people of Rivers State deserve peace, stability, and development—not a manufactured crisis driven by political greed and ambition. As concerned citizens and defenders of democracy, we stand resolute in our support for truth and justice.

    “Governor Fubara must not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. His exoneration from these baseless allegations and false narratives is not just a defense of his personality but a defense of democracy itself.

    “Governor Fubara has consistently demonstrated his commitment to peace, security, and good governance. His call for the protection of vital oil installations and his transparent governance style stand in stark contrast to the baseless allegations that seek to tarnish his reputation.

    “The security challenges in Rivers State are not of his making; rather they are symptomatic of a broader historical struggle for equity and justice in the Niger Delta. The international community, civil society, and all lovers of democracy must stand strong behind Rivers State to save it from anarchy.”

  • Fubara asks bloggers not to destabilise Rivers with their posts

    Fubara asks bloggers not to destabilise Rivers with their posts

    Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalaye Fubara yesterday cautioned bloggers and social media platforms against heating up the polity in the state.

    He warned those dropping his name and purveyors of violence and economic saboteurs to steer clear of the state.

    Fubara, who spoke through a statement by his media aide, Nelson Ckukwudi, cautioned those linking him to militancy in the state.

    Urging security agencies to take note of the fake videos designed to misinform the people and further paint the state in bad light, the governor asked concerned authorities to contain them and bring those behind them to book.

    He said those using his name or capitalizing on the present political crisis to foment trouble in the state, should have a change of attitude.

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    The statement reads: “It is also important to warn bloggers and social media hirelings to stop, forthwith, their campaign to create atmosphere of tension, chaos and anarchy in the state, as their fake reports and posts in the last couple of days have triggered enough wrong decisions that would not help the state move forward.”

    The governor described as unfortunate that those circulating fake videos of pipeline attack have being trying hard to connect them to his supporters.

    According to him, the communities where the incidents allegedly occurred had reacted, dismissing any claims of explosions on oil and gas facilities in their domains with reassurance that all critical government assets within their areas were safe, secure and efficiently functioning.

    The statement said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has no link to any militant group, does not contemplate any such association, and has no reason to encourage any criminal group or elements, anywhere in the state or Niger Delta, to undertake any action inimical to the peace of the people or safety and security of oil and gas facilities, and by extension, the economy of the country.”

    It is the second time since the emergency proclamation in Rivers State on Tuesday that Fubara is denying involvement in pipeline attacks.

    Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, accused him of encouraging if not enabling militants to attack the national asset in Rivers State, but the suspended governor swiftly denied involvement.

  • What may save Fubara

    What may save Fubara

    The political interpretations of the judgments of the Supreme Court in the cases principally between the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara and the suspended members of Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, are quite interesting. In one of the judgments, the Supreme Court affirmed the decisions of the Court of Appeal and the High Court presided over by Justice James Omotosho. The apex court affirmed that Governor Fubara had collapsed the democratic structure in the state, principally the legislative arm of the government, and declared several of his actions unlawful.

    By the provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended), the legislature is the first arm of the government, followed by the executive and finally the judiciary. But according to the three layers of the judiciary, Fubara had subjugated the legislature and had been governing as a despot. The apex court held that Fubara had not only demolished the physical structure of the state House of Assembly, but had collapsed the state democratic structure, by refusing to deal with 27 members out of the 32-member House of Assembly.

    The courts came down hard on the governor for dealing with a four-member House of Assembly, who he quartered in the executive branch of the government, and who despite the clear provisions of the 1999 constitution, purported to pass the 2024 and 2025 budgets, amongst under illegalities. Despite the pronouncements of the High Court that the passing of the budgets and other legislative approvals by the four-man gang were illegal, Fubara continued to deal with them. He purported to have cleared the commissioners and the members of the Rivers State Independent Election Commission, before the four member gang.

    As a governor who has desecrated the constitution which he swore to uphold, and who has been described as a despot by the apex court of the land, Fubara, but for the state of emergency, was a sitting duck for impeachment by the state House of Assembly members, under section 188 of the 1999 constitution (as amended). After all, the worst crime the executive can committee is to spend state money without authorization through an appropriation law, supplementary appropriation or monies charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state.

    A sin Fubara admitted he committed in the apex court, leading to the dismissal of one of the cases before the court. According to his lawyers, the unconstitutional conduct of the expenditure without authorization for year 2024 had been completed, and there was nothing the governor could do, to redeem himself. The matter of expenditure for 2025 which had been set in motion, and monies spent without legislative approval was what the governor wanted to remedy by re-representing the year’s budget before the state assembly.   

    Read Also: I have no link to any militant group, says Fubara

    It is strange that despite Fubara’s several constitutional misconducts, which has been affirmed by the highest court in our country, many legal opinions while commenting on Fubara’s suspension from office, makes light weather of those gross misconducts. For this column, every person who did not call Fubara to order while he reigned as a despot in Rivers State has no moral justification to rail against his removal, which is arguably justifiable in the circumstances of his peculiar mess.

    Except if one views the gross abuse of power committed by Fubara, through the prism of politics, the findings of the Supreme Court concerning the state of democracy in Rivers State, was arguably enough justification for the president to exercise the powers envisioned in section 305, of the 1999 constitution (as amended), to declare a state of emergency in the state. The Supreme Court, per Justice Agim had said: “The concurrent findings of facts in the Court of Appeal judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/133/20249 (exhibit RSHA 5) indicate that some months after the 8th respondent was elected and sworn in as governor of Rivers State in 2023, he began to fear that, instigated by his political opponents, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were planning or initiating proceedings to impeach him from office as governor of the state.”

    He went on: “That to pre-empt his said impeachment, 8th respondent took several steps such as attempting to get the National Assembly to take over the exercise of the legislative powers of Rivers State from the Rivers state House of Assembly, preventing the Rivers State House of Assembly from sitting with its complete members or constitutionally prescribed quorum of one-third of the 32 members and arranged for initially four members and subsequently three members to be sitting as Rivers State House of Assembly outside the Legislative building of the Rivers State House of Assembly, withholding Rivers State House of Assembly funds, removing the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers state House of Assembly, using caterpillars, bulldozers and other earth-moving vehicles and equipment to pull down, dismantle and destroy the legislative building of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

    Fubara prevented lawmakers and other staff of the state assembly: “from having access to the House of Assembly Complex to do official work and engaging in all these actions in disobedience of interim restraining orders of courts that were obtained by the said 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in suits to restrain these actions.”  A democratically elected governor who has desecrated democracy in the manner aforesaid, is not operating within the realms of law, and has constituted himself as an aberration unknown to the constitution, under which he pretends to govern.

    His Lordship further said: “A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution.” Furthermore: “In this case, the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.” As the courts hold, and lawyers like to quote, you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. With a court finding that there is no democratic government in Rivers State, can it not be argued that a state of emergency already exists in the state?

    Those who misled Governor Fubara into thinking and acting like Louis XIV of France, who famously declared “I am the state” are now goading him to live the illusion that he is a victim of the crisis that has bedevilled Rivers State, when in reality he is a major protagonist. When he declared that 27 elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, are only recognized at his pleasure, and went ahead to demolish the River State House of Assembly, I knew that the spirits beating the drums for him were of the dangerous type. The way out of the political stalemate in Rivers State, is through negotiation, not the shenanigan of false pretences.