Fubara sacks Wike’s ally as chairman of Rivers traditional council

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has appointed Chike Worlu Wodo, the traditional ruler of the Apara kingdom, as the new chairman of the state’s traditional rulers’ council.

Fubara announced the appointment of Wodo during a meeting with members of the council at the government house in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Friday.

The Rivers governor said he has terminated the appointment of Chidi Awuse, the traditional ruler of the Emohua kingdom, as the chairman of the council.

Fubara said the state government received a “special insult” from the Awuse-led council and that the council did not show any sign of working with his administration.

“I want the council to live up to its responsibility. From my observation, the council is moribund,” the Rivers governor said.

“So, I can feel that the council, for a while now, has been very inactive. Inactive because, maybe, the chairman has decided not to be responsible as a chairman. I think that is the best way to describe it.

“I would like to draw your attention to a special insult that was meted out to this government.

‘The council produced a calendar for the year 2024, and the governor’s picture and the deputy governor’s picture are not in the calendar.

“I want to ask you: does it show any sign that the leadership is working with this government? I hope you have a copy of it. Does it show that your chairman is working with this government?

“So, I have decided today that we have to move forward. By the special grace of God, the administrative life span of the chairman is one year, which is renewable.

“At this particular time, I have to say that with the power vested in me, I announce that the tenure of Chief Sergeant Awuse has been terminated.

“Let me announce here that the new chairman from this particular moment will be Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, Eze Ohna Apara, the paramount ruler of the Apara kingdom.”

Fubara asked the new chairman to convene a meeting and unite traditional rulers in the state.

Awuse is an ally of Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers, who is now the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

In June 2023, Awuse honoured Wike and Fubara with chieftaincy titles in the Emohua kingdom.

Over the past few months, Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads — a development that has created a political crisis in the state.