Governor Siminalayi Fubara has offered the olive branch to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, appealing to them to embrace peace for the resolution of the political impasse in the oil-rich state.
The governor, who spoke on Thursday appealed to the lawmakers to put the interest of the people of the state above everything.
Speaking during the commissioning of some projects in the Okrika Local Government Area of the state, Governor Fubara said, “It is important at this stage that we all embrace peace.”
Furthermore, Fubara said he needed peace to govern the state well and called on all dissatisfied political actors in the state to put all that had happened behind and commit to the full implementation of the February 28, 2025 raft of decisions handed over by the Supreme Court.
The governor said, “The Supreme Court has made its judgment, we don’t have any option but to abide by it, and by the special grace of God, we have started the process.
“We are appealing to other parties: consider the interest of Rivers State. The only thing that we owe this state is peace and development.
“I am open any day, any time for total peace in our state because if I have to govern well, there is the need for peace.”
The protracted feud between the pro-Wike House of Assembly and Fubara reached a disappointing crescendo on Wednesday as the governor was denied access to the Assembly Quarterswhen he showed up to re-present the 2025 Budget of the state, as mandated by the House after the Supreme Court verdict of February 28, 2025.
Talking after the lawmakers’ show of shame, the governor said he communicated his visit to Speaker Martins Amaewhule but the Assembly said it received no correspondence to the effect.
Just as the drama unfolded in the South-South state on Wednesday, Fubara’s estranged godfather and predecessor Nyesom Wike said at a media chat in Abuja that there is nothing wrong if the lawmakers decide to sack Fubara for alleged impeachable offences, including withholding their salaries for months.
In its February 28, 2025 judgment, the Supreme Court recognised Amaewhule as the House Speaker and barred the apex bank, CBN and others from releasing funds to the government of Rivers State until it purges itself of what the court described as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
The apex court also declared the local government election conducted in the state on October 5, 2024, as invalid and ordered the governor to conduct a fresh poll as well as re-present the 2025 Budget to the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
