Tensions between Governor Siminialayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly came to a head on Thursday as lawmakers, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, overrode the governor’s refusal to assent to three critical bills.
The unprecedented move highlights the deepening rift between the governor and legislators loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The contentious bills—the Rivers State Education (Return of Schools) (Amendment) Bill, the Rivers Electricity Market Bill, and the Rivers State Commissions of Inquiry Bill, 2024—were transmitted to Governor Fubara over a month ago but were met with silence. Citing Section 100(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the legislature to override the governor’s assent, the Assembly voted unanimously to pass the bills into law.
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Speaker Amaewhule didn’t mince words, accusing Fubara of obstructing progress with his inaction. “Governor Fubara cannot hold back the state due to his indolence and ineptitude,” Amaewhule declared, adding,
“By virtue of Section 100(5) of the Constitution, these laws are now in force in Rivers State.”
In a fiery statement issued by his media aide, Martins Wachukwu, Amaewhule described the governor as someone acting above the Constitution and extant laws.
The statement emphasized the Assembly’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and ensuring governance continues, with or without the governor’s cooperation.
The override marks a dramatic escalation in the political power struggle in Rivers State, pitting Governor Fubara against a legislature heavily influenced by his predecessor, Wike.
The Majority Leader, Major Jack, who presented the bills for debate, framed the decision as one of necessity to avoid stagnation in governance.
But the governor’s camp was quick to fire back. Jerry Omatsogunwa, Fubara’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, dismissed the lawmakers’ action as theatrics. “This is not the first time they’re overruling, but who will implement those overrulings?” he asked, suggesting that the Assembly’s actions lacked practical weight.
Omatsogunwa went further, labeling the legislators as a “committee of friends” and accusing them of acting against the interests of Rivers State. “During the Muhammadu Buhari administration, when he rejected the electoral bill twice, the National Assembly didn’t overrule him—they went and did the right thing. These lawmakers should learn from that example,” he added.
The political standoff raises important questions about the balance of power in Rivers State. The Assembly, emboldened by its constitutional authority, seems determined to chart its own course. Meanwhile, Governor Fubara’s team argues that legislative overrides are meaningless without executive enforcement.
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