The lawmakers who made that move were believed to be acting on the orders of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
Since October, the state house of assembly has split into two factions – Martin Amaewhule is the speaker of the several members who are backed by Wike while Edison Ehie is the speaker of the faction loyal to Governor Fubara.
News Direct reports that as of seven months ago, Wike and Fubara enjoyed a cordial relationship — a mentor-protégé affair.
But Fubara is not the first prominent ally Wike will fall out with. News Direct writes on others.
1) Rotimi Amaechi
Wike served as chief of staff (CoS) to Rotimi Amaechi while the latter was Rivers governor.
In 2011, Wike moved to Abuja as minister of state for education.
However, since 2014 when Amaechi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the twilight of his second and final tenure as governor, both have been in different political parties and have become staunch political foes.
While Wike remained in the PDP, Amaechi, alongside some governors, defected to the newly formed APC.
2) Atiku Abubakar
A rift between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 and 2023 elections, and Wike started in 2022. Wike fell out with the PDP’s leadership since losing the primary election to Atiku in June 2022.
Although he has insisted at several forums that he is still a member of the PDP, Wike is widely believed to have influenced votes for Atiku’s main rival, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), during the February 2023 presidential poll.
To show gratitude for Wike’s contribution to the success of the APC in the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu appointed him FCT minister.
In September, the president lauded him (Wike) and said Wike is not just the FCT minister but his “adviser”.
3) Chidi Lloyd
In late 2022, a former Rivers lawmaker, Chidi Lloyd, apologised to Wike for attacking his administration.
Before that scene where Lloyd broke down in tears publicly, both men used to be on good terms.
Lloyd, who could be seen in a viral video in tears, tendered the apology while speaking at the commissioning of the Akpabu-Omudioga-Egbeda road project in November 2022.
Lloyd is the current chairman of Emohua local government area (LGA).
4) Sim Fubara
Two former allies – Wike and Fubara – are daily drifting apart in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers state.
Wike, after a meeting with some PDP governors in Abuja, accused Fubara of hobnobbing with his political adversaries.
The minister also alleged that Fubara wants to destroy his (Wike) political structure.
Fubara reaffirms fairness and justice principle
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Fubara assured Nigerians that his government would continue to protect the interest of the people of the state.
The government thanked the people of Rivers ‘for their support’ so far.
Tinubu’s reconciliation move has failed – APC
Legit.ng also reported that Tony Okocha, the caretaker committee chairman of the APC in Rivers state, said efforts made by President Tinubu to settle the rift between Wike and Fubara have failed.
Speaking at a press conference at the APC national secretariat in Abuja recently, Okocha said although he was not part of the President’s intervention, he believed the reconciliation move has broken down.
He added that the APC is wooing Wike to defect to the party, stressing that as soon as he becomes a member of the APC, he would become the party’s leader in the state.
