Rivers crisis: No governor will tolerate the disrespect, insults I get from Wike – Fubara

• Fubara insisted that the lawmakers have permanently lost their seats as the time for negotiation and rap​proche​ment has long passed

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has doubled down on his position regarding the status of 27 members of the State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Fubara insisted that the lawmakers have permanently lost their seats as the time for negotiation and rap​proche​ment has long passed.

The governor also justified his decision to present the 2025 budget to three lawmakers, saying the 27 lawmakers, loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, would not be returning to the Assembly.

Fubara, who has been at loggerheads with Wike, said he had endured enough insult from Wike and his camp and would tolerate no more.

He spoke on Monday shortly after signing the N1.1tn 2025 budget at the state House in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Fubara dismissed claims of a factional Assembly, stating that the three-member Assembly led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo is the only legitimate legislative body.

He liken the decision of the lawmaker to defect to APC to embarking on sea-bared journey only for them to realise halfway that the sojourn was a perilous one.

He said, “I want to say this, maybe for some persons somewhere who are still mixing up issues. We have only one Assembly and that Assembly is headed by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.

“A group of friends about nine months ago embarked on what is called the sea-bared journey; halfway through the vessel, while they were coasting, they realized that they were entering the den of devils and sharks, and they now want to retreat.

“It is too late, and the truth is that we are not going back. We have given them enough room for peace. There is no governor in Nigeria who can take the kind of insult I took from those set of people.

“As it stands now, our major target is the interest of Rivers State, and we will continue to defend the integrity of governance. As far as I am concerned, we have moved on.”

Fubara pledged to remain focused on defending the interests of Rivers State and ensuring the integrity of governance.

He said, “We will make sure that we kick-start, so that the record of performance that was accorded by this administration in the year 2024 will be higher in this year, 2025.

“Let me first thank the Rivers State House of Assembly for doing a very diligent job, and also realising the task that we have ahead of us, which is to continue to work for Rivers people. So, I want to thank you for working very hard and ensuring that we hit the ground running in this New Year.”