Without signs of a high imminent fire in the supremacy approach between the two camps in the political crisis in the state of Rivers, Godwin Okonkwo, in this report writes on the emerging domino effects on the psyche of common citizens in the oil state.
The current week began with an indication of the possibility that rival camps in the political imbroglio of the state of the Rivers could be on their way to a peach commitment. The assumption was based on the apparent olive branch agitated by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the 26 legislators in the State Assembly Chamber under the leadership of the Honorable Martin Amoewhule. Fubara wrote to the assembly inviting the members to a meeting on Monday of this week in the House Government. The letter, signed by the Secretary of the State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo and dated March 7, 2025, was addressed to President AMAEWHULE and other members of the Assembly. To inspire the public confidence that the path for eventual peace had begun, the letter was explicit in the agenda of the meeting to include some problems arising from the Supreme Court Judgment on the crisis. The agenda included the provision of an appropriate space for the assembly sessions; payment of all remuneration or pending subsidies of the members of the Assembly; Presentation of the state budget of 2025 and its shit, as well as any other matter, as it could be considered necessary in the attempt to draw the way to follow.
But the hope of the process of a friendly settlement of the prolonged Imbroglio vanished since the assembly expressed outrage on the mode of communication used by the executive arm in the proposed meeting. Therefore, it could not be maintained and the great by both parties continued. For Monday, there was another turn in theatricality over the soul of the state between the camps. A faction of the party led by Tony Okocha threatened that the governor should be ready for the accusation if he did not resign from the recent judgment of the Supreme Court on the prolonged political crisis in the state. Okocha believed that the governor had committed some infractions that constituted impeccable crimes. He said that the Governor's Olive Brcah to the Assembly was simply a Greek gift that should be ignored. Okocha said: “As a political party, we advise the governor to resign or be accused. Those are the only two options before him. Now we have reached the bus stop and this is our position. Let it resign or accused. “
In addition, the hiding place and the search on the fight for the control of the rivers between Fubara and the legislators assumed another curious dimension, after an order of the Assembly for the dissolution of the state electoral body that organized the elections of the local government last year that was later annulled by the trial of the Supreme Court. Two commissioners of the body had resigned, but the assembly demanded a sack of all the commissioners in the state cabinet, and the appointed politicians made by the governor who were not examined by the legislature led by AMAEWHULE. In addition, the legislators issued an ultimatum of 48 hours to the commissioners already appointed to appear before the Chamber to explain why they had been spending funds without the approval of the Assembly through the approval of an appropriation law. The order was issued during the house plenary. Although the problems raised by the Order dominated the political space, the assembly gave a 48 -hour ultimatum to the president of the Electoral Commission Independent of the State of Rivers (RSIEC), Judge Adolphus Jnebeli (RETD) will appear before the Assembly to answer questions related to the operation of its different offices. The speaker said that Judge Jnebeli would need to answer why he made the unfortunate election of LG on October 5, 2024 without the approval of the assembly “and why (RSIEC) were supposedly still spending funds in the year 2025 without a law of allocation and planned Commissioners did not appear before this August Assembly, the Chamber will have no choice but to invoke the powers created in us in section 129 of the 1999 Constitution to issue an arrest warrant to force them to appear before this August Assembly. “
It is also perceived as a sign of any retirement and did not give the proposal of the authorities to celebrate a new local government survey. With the dust during the October LG survey, 2024 still reverberating, the electoral body spoke of its intention to celebrate a new election of the local government. The announcement became another storm in the cup of tea, since the RSIEC announced that the elections at 23 LGA would be held on August 9, 2025. The president of the Commission announced the plan at a meeting of interested parties in the central office of the commission in Port Harcourt. The August election, which was necessary for the cancellation of October 5, election of the Supreme Court, created a vacuum at the local government when the presidents delivered the heads of the local government administration (HLGA) in accordance with the order of Governor Fubara. Therefore, RSIEC scheduled a general meeting of interested parties to present the schedule and guidelines for the 2025 LG elections in the state. The key interested parties waiting at the meeting included leaders of registered political parties, traditional rulers, security agencies, religious organizations, media representatives, professional organizations, civil society groups and community groups.
Fubara talks about CTC of Judgment of the Supreme Court
The tension in rivers attained fersh pitch by last weekend as the public awaited the implementation, specially by the governor of the supreme Court Judgment delivered on february 28, 2025. The Major Parts of the Judgment, which has drawn the attention of many to the intractable political crisis Are the Recognition of the Apex Court of Amaewhula and His 26 Colleagues as The Authentic Member of the State Assembly and the Order to Government Fubara present the state budget 2025 of the State to the Assembly for research. Others are the annulment of the local government elections of 2024 in the State and the Order for the CBN and the General Accountant to retain the allocation of income to the State until a constitutional administration of the local government is implemented. But for March 2, the governor in transmission, only nods that the presidents of LG dismissed should deliver to HLGA, promising that more measures on the trial would be implemented after March 7 when his legal team would have received the true certified copy (CTC) of the sentence and advised him according to his understanding of the demands of the sentence.
Since then, the tension has been increasing in the State in terms of what would be the eventual destiny of the governor, since substantial parts of the trial are against him and the fact that his opponents are not giving any space to breathe to ensure that they capitalize on his infraction in any aspect of the trial to accuse him. This was demonstrated by the 48-hour ultimatum immediately issued by the Assembly on March 3 to the Governor to appear before them and present the 2025 budget of the State, which was already being implemented after it was approved by the honorable Victor Oko-Jombo and his group of five legislators.
As the ultimatum in the governor expired last Wednesday and apparently in deference to the previous explanation of the governor to wait for the CTC of the sentence, the Assembly on March 7, another ultimatum of 72 hours to Fubara on the presentation of the budget to them issued.
Advance
At this time, there is uncertainty on the way to follow on the crisis, with threats and backgrounds that emanate from entrenched interests. Signs of cracks have emerged in the ranks of some ethnic nationalities, exacerbating the crisis. The authorities have continued to ensure public members about the safety of lives and property despite the threats of some groups so that the State is childish. However, other critical stakeholders in rivers literally have their hearts in their mouths perpetually and want a political solution to the conflict because the current tension and state of inertia are not doing any good to the oil state.
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