ABUJA, Nigeria — In a stunning development that has rocked the political landscape of Rivers State, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared the Supreme Court’s recent ruling as a monumental victory for democracy.
Speaking from Abuja, Wike lauded the judgement—which nullified the ill-fated local government elections and reaffirmed the legitimacy of the 27-member Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule—as a decisive strike against the impunity that has long plagued the state.
Wike’s remarks come in the wake of a protracted political crisis that has seen Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s government operating outside the bounds of constitutional propriety.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, delivered on Friday, has invalidated all of Fubara’s decisions and appointments since the onset of the crisis.
The FCT Minister warned that Fubara’s audacious attempts to bypass the legislature by demolishing the House of Assembly building and convening a makeshift chamber with only three lawmakers to pass a state budget are intolerable breaches of democratic norms.
A Victory for Democracy and the Rule of Law
Wike was unequivocal in his support for the court’s decision.
“I have always said that the wheel of justice is sluggish, but it will come when it will come,” he asserted.
The FCT Minister emphasised that the judgement—resolving an issue that has festered for over 15 months—is a clear repudiation of the arbitrary exercise of power in Rivers State.
The ruling demands that the state budget be presented to the duly recognised 27-member Assembly, not a paltry assembly of three, which Wike dismissed as utterly inadequate for the governance of an entire state.
In a scathing critique of the actions of Governor Fubara, Wike highlighted that all appointments made during the crisis, including commissioners and the so-called attorney general, are rendered null and void.
“No funds should be released to the state government without proper budgetary approval,” he warned, underscoring that the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Accountant General have been instructed to withhold disbursements until the appropriate legislative process is observed.
Condemnation of Political Opportunism
Not one to mince words, Wike did not hesitate to level criticism against prominent political figures. He lambasted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed—Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum—for their support of what he termed “lawlessness in Rivers State.”
According to Wike, these politicians, who once lauded Fubara for defying the law, must now acknowledge that the Supreme Court has unequivocally silenced their erstwhile endorsements of unconstitutional practices.
“People like Atiku, who were quick to praise Fubara’s defiance, should now hail him for being brought to book. The chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum should also applaud the court’s decision,” Wike declared.
His remarks resonate with a broader sentiment among political analysts who see the ruling as a necessary corrective measure—a reminder that no individual, regardless of their influence, is above the law.
An End to Impunity and a Call for Constitutional Order
Wike’s message was clear: Rivers State must return to the path of constitutional order. The minister decried Governor Fubara’s attempts to govern without a legitimate legislature, noting that the state’s budget cannot and should not be spent without the express approval of the 27-member Assembly.
He questioned the logic behind spending vast sums—trillions of Naira—without the oversight of a democratically elected legislature, describing such actions as the pinnacle of constitutional infraction.
Furthermore, Wike dismissed any notion of an “Amaewhule faction,” reinforcing that the Supreme Court’s validation of the full Assembly leaves no room for divided legislative bodies.
“There is nothing like an Amaewhule faction. The fact remains that three lawmakers cannot run a government,” he asserted, driving home the point that the legitimacy of the House of Assembly is non-negotiable.
In his measured yet fiery address, the FCT Minister warned that any further defiance of the Supreme Court’s ruling by Governor Fubara would only serve to invite greater instability and anarchy in the state.
“The governor must now operate within the confines of the law. If he continues to disregard the Supreme Court’s mandate, the chaos that will follow will be his own undoing,” Wike cautioned.
A Turning Point for Rivers State
As Rivers State grapples with the aftermath of this unprecedented judicial intervention, the ruling stands as a beacon of hope for the restoration of democracy and accountability.
Atlantic Post will continue to monitor this evolving saga as political forces realign and the spectre of impunity is challenged by the full force of the judicial system.
The message from Abuja is resoundingly clear: in Nigeria, the rule of law prevails, and the wheel of justice, however sluggish it may seem, will always turn.
