After meeting with Tinubu, Wike and Fubara reach a truce.
The political rivals in Rivers State, a South-South state wealthy in oil, met with President Bola Tinubu at Abuja’s Aso Villa on Monday, and after weeks of surprising developments, they agreed to a truce.
Both Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, were present during the meeting.
Peter Odili, who had previously served as governor of Rivers, and other traditional leaders from the state were also present at the gathering.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the president, and Vice President Kashim Shettima were also present at the meeting.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has been the “boxing ring” for the past three months of absurdity in the state. Representatives in the House were deeply divided over the feud between Wike and Fubara; as a result, 27 MPs defected from the PDP to the ruling APC, the party whose central government Wike presently heads.
Along with parallel sittings and an impeachment plan against the governor, the Assembly complex was demolished and pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s government resigned in droves as a result of the feud.
An earlier problem in October escalated into a full-blown battle, despite the President and a few older statesmen’s interventions.
However, following Monday’s discussion, the disputing parties reached an agreement that Fubara and his staff would promptly withdraw all matters from court.
Among the crisis gladiators who signed the deal that was made public to journalists were Fubara, Wike, and Amaewhule. The document was also signed by Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.
Additionally, Wike’s team has reached an agreement to swiftly dismiss all impeachment procedures that the Rivers State House of Assembly has launched against the governor.
Rather than acknowledge Edison Ehie’s leadership in the Rivers State House of Assembly, the feuding parties decided to recognise Martin Amaewhule.
Amaewhule and his 26 allies, who just switched parties from the PDP to the APC, were recognised by both camps.
Subsequent resolutions state:
The governor of Rivers State must stop interfering with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly and immediately restore the salaries and perks of all members and staff of the assembly.
The Rivers State House of Assembly is free to sit wherever it pleases and carry out its legislative duties without fear of retaliation from the state’s executive branch.
Sir Fubara, as governor of Rivers State, is required to re-present the state budget to the duly formed House of Assembly of Rivers State.
Following the state’s political turmoil, the House of Assembly should resubmit for approval the names of all commissioners on the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned from their positions.
A caretaker committee has no place in Rivers State’s municipal administrations. There will be no official acknowledgment of the dissolution of the local government administration.