Wike’s Rivers Structure Finally Collapses, As Gov. Fubara Appoints Local Councils Heads

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The last vestiges of the eight year iron fist control of the political landscape of Rivers state by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and immediate past Governor of the State Nyesom Wike, were on Tuesday  June 18, 2024 erased.

This followed a directive by Governor Sim Fubara ,the estranged political godson of Wike for Administrative Heads of the State’s 23 Local Councils to take  charge of affairs and wait for further instructions.

The development resulted from the expiry on Monday June 17, of the tenure of the Pro- Wike Council Chairpersons.

Governor Fubara who issued the directives in a State wide broadcast on Tuesday, June 18, also appreciated the outgone Council bosses for their services to the State, and wished them well in their future endeavours.

A last ditch effort to save  the jobs of the Council Chairpersons by the pro-Wike camp and by extension what should have remained as the only branch of the  political structure of the FCT Minister collapsed on Friday June 14.

This followed the refusal of an Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt the State capital to upturn an earlier judgement of a State High Court, declaring the positions of Speaker Martins Amaewfule and 26 other pro-Wike law makers as vacant.

Justice Dagogo Jack of a Rivers State High Court had, also, ruled restraining them from further parading  themselves as members of the Rivers state House of Assembly, having lost their seats by virtue of their resignation from the  Peoples Democratic Party PDP, the political platform that sponsored them for the elections.

Justice Jack also ruled and affirmed Rt Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo as the rightful Speaker of the State legislative body.

The court also pronounced as illegal ,null and avoid all actions and legislative efforts of the law makers, including their amendment to the State Local Council laws and the subsequent   extension of the tenure of the now out gone Council Chairpersons by six months.

But, dissatisfied, the 27 pro-Wike law makers approached the Appeal Court seeking a reversal of the lower Court’s verdict.

However, while ruling on the matter on Friday June 14 a three-man panel of justices led by Justice Jimi Olukayode advised all parties to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the substantive suit before it.

The Appeal Court also warned against any conducts that may likely affect the substantive suit.

It ordered that the notice of appeal be served on all defendants before the June 20,2024 adjourned date .

With the failure by the Court of Appeal to upturn the lower Court’s ruling, the fate of Speaker Amaewfule and the other 26 pro- Wike law makers were effectively sealed.

The Appeal court ruling, while appearing to be reconciliatory on the surface, clearly sign-posted that the earlier verdict of the lower court stripping the law makers of their positions both at the level of PDP and the State House of Assembly remain valid until the determination of the appeal before it.

With the 27 pro-Wike law makers caged, his nominated  Commissioners in Governor Fubara’s administration frustrated out, the PDP hierarchy at both state and National levels  threading parallel part with him, not a few APC faithful perceiving him as transactional and treacherous  and the 23 Council Chairpersons now out of office, what the embattled FCT Minister had all along been mortally afraid of – the collapse of his political structure, steers him in the face like a day light.

As it is, Wike’s continued political relevance will  largely depend on the   patronage the Presidency is willing to lend to him .

Even such Presidential support will have to be  balanced by the need not to court the ire of Rivers  State major political actors majority of whom Wike had sought to emasculate in the past few years.