The Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly has dismissed an invitation from Governor Siminalayi Fubara, insisting that official communication should not be conducted via social media. The Assembly’s reaction came after Fubara, through the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, invited the lawmakers to a crucial meeting at the Government House on Monday (today).
The meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m., was intended to address critical governance issues, including providing a sitting space for the Assembly, payment of outstanding allowances, and the presentation of the 2025 budget. However, the 27 lawmakers loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike may boycott the meeting unless the governor meets their conditions.
A vocal critic of the invitation, Isaiah Opuende, who represents Akuku-Toru Constituency 2, slammed the governor’s approach, questioning why Fubara would reach out after repeatedly dismissing them in the past. Opuende accused the governor of hypocrisy, stating that they would now decide their stance, referencing Fubara’s earlier stance of “dey your dey” (stay on your own).
“It is time for us to determine our own ‘dey.’ When the ‘dey your dey’ started, our principal [Wike] said the time for our own ‘dey your dey’ would come. Now, our ‘dey your dey’ has come,” Opuende declared.
The lingering political rift between Fubara and the pro-Wike lawmakers continues to cast uncertainty over governance in Rivers State. The latest development further deepens the crisis, raising questions about whether the governor and the lawmakers can resolve their differences for the smooth administration of the state.