President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said all stakeholders in the Rivers State polity should adhere to the rule of law to ensure lasting peace and prosperity.
Tinubu made this appeal to political leaders from the South-South during a meeting with representatives and leaders of the Niger Delta under the Pan-Niger Delta Forum at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed details of Tuesday’s parley in a statement titled, ‘President Tinubu calls for adherence to the rule of law to restore peace in Rivers State.’
Tinubu reiterated that respect for the judiciary is crucial in upholding democracy and fostering harmony.
His comments come amid the long-drawn power tussle between the immediate past Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and the incumbent Governor, Sim Fubara.
A recent Supreme Court recently ruled in favour of the faction led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, who is aligned with Wike.
The judgment reinstated 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, challenging Fubara’s earlier attempts to assert control over the state assembly.
Although Fubara has since promised to comply with the judgment, certain factions are calling for his resignation or impeachment.
The President advised the leaders to be more broad-minded, selfless and focused on the larger vision of salvaging the region, politically and economically, by insisting that the judiciary’s interpretations of the Constitution be respected.
He said, “I am here by the grace of God, appreciating your support, prayers and concern. I cannot complain. I campaigned for this position and begged for the job. I must do it with all my heart, whatever it takes.
“I will make sure we achieve our promises and goals. Nigeria is a great country. To some cabinet members here, from outside looking in and inside looking out, we have been doing our best to give Nigeria a re-bounce, a reset and a recalibration of the economic fortune.
“Yes, Niger Delta is the goose that lays the golden egg. We must care for the goose; otherwise, we lose the golden egg.
I got your signal and your concern, particularly on Rivers State. I have been on the issue for quite some time. I foresaw the crisis festering for too long before I intervened. We reached an agreement, a written agreement, and both parties signed.”
The President said stakeholders must make sacrifices for the state to move forward by recognising the Constitution.
He emphasised that Nigeria is a nation governed by the rule of law, stating that he would not be serving as President if not for the primacy of legal frameworks.
He expressed total confidence in the judiciary, acknowledging that human beings can make mistakes but maintaining that once the courts have ruled, their decision stands as final.
Tinubu urged the delegation to return home and ensure that relevant court rulings are implemented as swiftly as possible, placing responsibility in their hands and calling for both private and public intervention to counsel the governor.
“Please go back home and help implement the court rulings within the shortest possible time. I am putting the ball in your court. Help! Privately and openly intervene and counsel the governor. Pursue the path of peace and stability,” he added.
He told the delegation that his priority remains community development, particularly projects and programmes that positively impact citizens.
“Go back home and take charge of peace. If you need me, let me know. I have given the situation enough time and enough consideration. We cannot fall back, and we will not. The people of Rivers State will not suffer because of democracy. We worked together on it. They will not suffer. They must be protected,” President Tinubu said.
The President commended the leadership of the Niger Delta saying, “I have seen what you have tolerated in the region. Community development is very close to my heart. The leader of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, is doing a great job and should be encouraged to do more.
Tinubu stated, “He is your son. We are all proud of him. Yes, there are lots of misadventurers around Nigeria on democracy. We will continue to work on preserving the integrity and character of our legislators.
“I sincerely thank you for bringing up those issues. And for doing what you are doing for the country. Nigeria is too big for anyone. And greater than anyone. It is so great. That greatness must come from us through our determination, perseverance and endurance to do all we can to improve.”
The President thanked the delegation for acknowledging the efforts to stimulate the economy for more sustainable and predictable growth.
“We cannot achieve Eldorado in one day. But we are on the path to it. We will succeed by the grace of God Almighty.
“We are resetting the economy, and it looks far better. We have funds for our children in college. Our medical colleges are also getting equipped,” he said.
The President noted that the ongoing coastal road project will create new economic benefits for the Niger Delta and the country.
“We are already working with international companies to build ports in the Niger Delta States,” he stated.
King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom and Co-Chairman of the PANDEF Board of Trustees, thanked the President for his commitment to South-South well-being and appointments given to Niger Delta indigenes.
“Your government has taken the bull by the horns, and we are sure you will succeed. We are here to give you our assurance and support. I can say now that God bless Nigeria and your government,” he said.
Former governor of Akwa Ibom State and co-chair of the PANDEF Board of Trustees, Obong Victor Attah, called for further intervention in the Rivers State crises.
Attah, who also chairs the reconciliation committee set up by PANDEF in Rivers State, said the political crises in Rivers State threaten national stability and deserve more attention.
“Instability there has far-reaching consequences on the peace and stability of the nation,” he added.
He praised the President’s reforms, including power devolution and regional development recognition, and urged focus on infrastructure, seaports, environmental sustainability, and fiscal federalism in the South-South.
The PANDEF delegation included former governors, legislators, ministers, traditional leaders, religious figures, and youth and women groups.
Fubara to re-invite pro-Wike lawmakers
Meanwhile, Fubara may extend a fresh invitation to the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers as part of his ongoing peace efforts.
On Sunday, Governor Fubara, through the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, invited the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly for a meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday.
According to the letter, key issues for discussion included securing a suitable venue for the lawmakers to hold legislative sessions, the presentation of the 2025 budget, payment of their outstanding allowances, and other crucial matters.
The governor’s invitation to the lawmakers followed the recent Supreme Court judgment recognising them as legitimate lawmakers and ordering the governor to present the 2025 budget to them.
However, the lawmakers rejected Fubara’s invitation, citing improper communication.
The lawmaker representing Akuku-Toru Constituency 2, Lolo Opuende, criticised the mode of communication, stating that the lawmakers first learned about the invitation via social media.
Mocking the governor’s shift in stance, Opuende remarked, “It is time for us to determine our ‘dey.’ When the ‘dey your dey’ started, our principal said the time for our own ‘dey your dey’ will come. Fubara, now our ‘dey your dey’ has come.”
Supporters of Wike celebrated the development, with former Ikwerre Local Government Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, seen dancing and chanting, “Fubara, dey your dey, make I dey my dey. Dey your dey o, nobody worry Amaewhule.”
Despite the lawmakers’ silence on the letter during their Monday plenary, they issued a warrant for the arrest of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, following the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum for him to appear before the Assembly.
Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, Fubara’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, said it was within the governor’s character to reissue the invitation as a man of peace.
“Just today, at the inauguration of the Judges’ Quarters, the governor said he will implement every decision of the Supreme Court. So I think that will answer the question of the budget and other pressing issues,” Omatsogunwa stated.
Asked if the governor would resend the invitation letter to the lawmakers, he responded: “I think the lawmakers missed a golden opportunity. If they really love Rivers State, they would have honoured that invitation. But the governor, as a very peaceful person, may decide to rewrite them to ensure they are on the same page. Even in the Bible, God said, ‘Come, let us reason together.’”
Omatsogunwa further emphasised the need for collaboration, stating: “The governor will not stay in office forever, and the lawmakers will not stay in office forever. They need each other to ensure the development of Rivers State.”
Fubara pledges compliance
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara, on Tuesday, assured that his administration would fully implement the Supreme Court’s judgment on the state’s political crisis.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Judges’ Quarters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, he said:“It has not been an easy 16 months, but what is important is the interest of our state, which must be above personal interests. The Supreme Court has given its judgment, and my administration will implement it fully. The reason is clear: It is not about me; it is about the good of this state.”
Fubara lamented the financial losses incurred during the crisis, stating that such resources would had been better utilised for the state’s development.
“Any day, any time, I have not gone back on my statement that no price is too big to pay for peace in this state. At the end of the day, it is about our people. I will leave office, but the good work I have done will speak for me.”
On the project’s significance, Fubara reiterated his commitment to the welfare of judicial officers, saying his administration inherited the project and saw its completion as a priority.
“We give glory to God that today, we have completed this project, and we are ready to hand it over to the judges so they can perform their duties effectively.”
Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, who performed the inauguration, commended the governor’s dedication to the judiciary.
“We are pleased with this landmark achievement, which ensures judges have befitting residential accommodation,” Amadi said.
The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Ibiwari Clapton-Ogolo, noted that the state’s judicial housing scheme, backed by Law No. 10 of 2021, provides official quarters or monetary compensation to judicial officers who are Rivers indigenes by birth or marriage.
“In accordance with this law, today, the Chief Judge of Rivers State will commission seven exquisitely furnished five-bedroom duplexes. Our judges deserve nothing less,” she stated.
Group warns against impeachment
Amid the political tensions, a pro-Fubara group, Supreme Council for Sim Worldwide, warned that any attempt to impeach the governor could lead to unrest.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, group leader, Esezi Rukani, cautioned against moves to remove Fubara from office, stating:
“We all know the process of impeachment. Before it even starts, the state will boil because the governor is a man of the masses. He might not act, but the people who voted for him will.”
Rukani also warned lawmakers against misinterpreting Fubara’s peaceful nature as weakness.
“The governor may not fight them, but those who voted for them will. Simplicity is not stupidity. If this governor were like others who enjoy fighting, Rivers State would have been in turmoil by now.”
Responding to calls for Fubara’s resignation by the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Rukani questioned the basis for such demands.
“What crime has he committed that somebody is calling on him to resign? The last time, they wanted to impeach him without explanation. Now, some individuals who never meant well for the state are calling for his removal.”
The group reaffirmed its support for the governor, insisting that any attempt to remove him would be met with resistance.
“We stand with the governor. We are not even talking about this first term; we are preparing for his second term. Whether anybody likes it or not, he will finish this first term in good health.”
Similarly, Supreme Council for Sim Worldwide National Leader, Amb. Joshua Fubara, hailed the governor’s achievements, including civil servant promotions and infrastructure projects like the Port Harcourt Ring Road and Trans-Kalahari Road.
“The impeachment call is baseless. What we need is for all factions to come together for the progress of Rivers State. Any crisis in Rivers will affect the entire country.”
