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Category: Rivers Update

  • ‘We are sorry,’ Fubara’s kinsmen apologise to Wike

    ‘We are sorry,’ Fubara’s kinsmen apologise to Wike

    The Elders Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party has apologised to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the ongoing rift between him and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara.
    The elders, led by the Executive Director of Finance at the Niger Delta Development Commission, Boma Iyaye, apologised to Wike on Saturday at the Rivers State Ijaw Peoples Congress organised in his honour in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
    Iyaye stated that the Ijaw people were sorry for the embarrassment and public display of disregard for the minister by Fubara.
    He said, “On behalf of our people, we are apologising to you for what our son is doing to you. We are sorry. We are sorry because it is not in our nature to pay evil for good. You have done well for us, and we will continue to say thank you.
    “Your Excellency, do not, because of this bad behaviour of our son, run away from us. Continue to be our brother. Continue to have us in mind. We have never set our feet on the number one seat of Rivers State. You made it possible for us to become the governor of Rivers State.”
    The Chairman of the Elders Forum, PDP Rivers State, Ferdinard Anabraba, berated the Fubara government, saying that the Ijaw nationality would not forget Wike.
    “The aberration we are seeing in the administration of Rivers State is only a demonstration of lack of political discharge of an individual, and by no means the opinion of Ijaw people.
    “We, the Ijaw, see you as the light of Rivers State. You are indeed a notable strategist in Nigeria’s contemporary politics. And without doubt, you are the most celebrated Ijaw politician of national recognition,” he said.
  • Rivers APC to sanction Pro-Wike lawmakers for denying defection 

    Rivers APC to sanction Pro-Wike lawmakers for denying defection 

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke, has criticized 27 state lawmakers for denying their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
    Beke, a close associate of Rotimi Amaechi, stated that the lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, cannot retract their APC membership after publicly switching parties.
    Speaking at a news briefing on Saturday, Beke addressed Amaewhule’s claims of still being a member of the PDP.
    He stated, “I want to put it on record that those 27 members of the House of Assembly are still members of the APC. The law is clear on defection. They cannot run away from the truth because we all know and saw it when they defected to our party.”
    “In our last meeting, we sent out invitations for them (the pro-Wike lawmakers) to attend, but they did not. Right now, we are focused on local government elections, and after that, we will take necessary actions concerning them,” he added.
    He further confirmed that all APC candidates for the upcoming elections had successfully undergone screening and were cleared by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC,.
    “The APC is fully prepared to participate in the local government elections on October 5. Our candidates have been duly screened and approved,” he affirmed.
    Beke also praised Governor Siminalayi Fubara for ensuring a fair and competitive environment for all political parties in the upcoming elections.
    “This marks the first time in the political history of Rivers State that a governor is genuinely committed to providing equal opportunities for all parties, allowing the people of Rivers to freely elect their preferred chairmen and councilors,” he remarked.
    Recall that the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had issued an order to suspend all state expenditure.
    The development comes after Governor Siminalayi Fubara failed to propose the 2024 budget to the House within the seven-day deadline.
    The Assembly had determined that the Governor is no longer permitted to approve or authorize expenditures from the state’s consolidated revenue fund.