Rivers assembly overrides Fubara, blocks him from appointing LG chairpersons

The Rivers house of assembly has overridden the decision of Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, not to assent to four bills earlier passed by the lawmakers.

The four bills are the Rivers State Local Government Law (Amendment) Bill; Rivers State Traditional Rulers’ Law (Amendment) Bill; Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property Prohibition (Repeal) Bill and Rivers State House of Assembly Fund Management Bill.

The state lawmakers had transmitted the bills to Fubara for approval.

At the plenary on Friday, Martin Amaewhule, the speaker, asked the house to vote on whether to override the decision of Fubara to withhold assent to the four bills.

Martins Wachukwu, media aide to Amaewhule, said the 24 lawmakers present at the plenary unanimously voted to override the governor.

The lawmakers cited section 100(5) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) to support their decision.

Section 100(5) of the constitution states that: “Where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by the House of Assembly by two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required.”

Speaking on the decision of the house, Amaewhule said the reason stated by the governor for withholding assent to the local government bill “appears to be anticipatory and tailored toward creating a situation that would make holding of election in the state impracticable”.

The speaker said the legislation curtailed the powers of the governor from suspending LGA chairpersons and appointing caretaker committees.

On the Rivers state traditional rulers bill, the speaker said the amendment to the legislation is “innocuous” and that the legislation was amended to include a resolution of the house in the recognition, de-recognition or suspension of traditional rulers to “curb arbitrariness”.

The speaker added that the house decided to repeal the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property (Prohibition) Law so as not to financially overburden the people of the state and impede their access to use state-owned facilities.

Amaewhule lamented that the governor rejected all the “people-oriented” bills.

Over the past few months, the Rivers assembly and Fubara have been at loggerheads.

In October 2023, the assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor — a development that worsened the political instability in the state.

The assembly eventually withdrew the impeachment notice after President Bola Tinubu intervened in the conflict between Fubara and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).