Fubara invites pro-Wike lawmakers for meeting

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, has invited the Martin Amaewhule-led house of assembly members to a meeting.

The sit-down is scheduled for Monday at the government house in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The invitation is contained in a letter dated March 7, 2025, and issued by the office of the secretary to the state government.

In the letter, Fubara acknowledged receipt of the supreme court’s judgment restoring the Amaewhule-led assembly.

“And he has, therefore, directed to invite you and your colleagues, the Honourable members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, to a meeting,” the letter reads.

The meeting is expected to focus on securing a suitable venue for assembly sittings, and resolving outstanding remuneration and allowances for lawmakers, among others.

On February 28, the supreme court affirmed the judgment of a federal high court that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the accountant-general of the federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers state.

The Amaewhule faction of the assembly is loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT) and former governor of Rivers state.

The apex court also ordered the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers state house of assembly and other elected members of the house to resume sitting.

The supreme court also nullified the local government election held in Rivers state on October 5, 2024.

Following the judgment, the lawmakers resumed sittings and requested the governor to present the 2025 appropriations bill for consideration. 

The lawmakers also summoned officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to appear before the parliament over alleged misappropriation of funds.

Fubara’s invitation is viewed as a step toward resolving the Rivers assembly crisis that began in 2023.