Written by SpringsNewsNG Media Limited, March 30, 2025

Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the ongoing political crisis between the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, is primarily centered around money sharing. Amaechi made this assertion during an interview with DW Africa on Saturday, criticizing the handling of the state’s political affairs.

According to http://Amaechi, the feud between Fubara and Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, is driven by financial interests rather than ideological or governance-related disputes.

“The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. If not, what is the quarrel?” Amaechi questioned. “Nigerians don’t seem to care about corruption anymore. I’ve not seen anyone demanding answers on the streets. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is?”

Amaechi also criticized the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, arguing that it was unconstitutional and politically motivated. He noted that the imposition of emergency rule deprived Rivers State of democratic governance, turning it into a state under military-like rule.

“The president acted outside the Constitution. Section 188 of the Constitution specifies how a governor can leave office—either by death, resignation, or impeachment. It does not grant the president the authority to remove a sitting governor arbitrarily,” Amaechi stated.

He further alleged that Tinubu’s involvement in the Rivers crisis was part of a larger political strategy aimed at consolidating power ahead of the 2027 general elections. “Rumors are circulating that if any governor does not align with the President, they risk being removed. The Rivers issue is about both money sharing and 2027 politics,” he claimed.

Amaechi also questioned the justification for the emergency declaration, pointing out that insecurity issues persist across Nigeria, particularly in the North East, North West, South East, and South South regions. “If the president declared an emergency in Rivers because of an exploded pipeline, then what about other states facing severe security threats? Should we also impose emergency rule on them?” he asked.

The former minister argued that the responsibility for security rests with the federal government, not the state governor. “The governor has no responsibility for the blown pipelines in Rivers. Security matters are under the control of the President. So why punish a man who committed no offence?” he added.

Meanwhile, tensions have escalated between political factions in Rivers State over local elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). Allies of Wike claimed that they were excluded from a stakeholders’ meeting convened by RSIEC to discuss the elections.

Ahead of the elections, Tony Okocha, a political ally of Wike, expressed confidence that the polls would not take place, having filed a legal suit to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voters register to RSIEC. However, RSIEC Chairman, Justice Enebeli (retd.), stated that the commission had obtained the voters register, despite INEC denying any official release of the document.

The growing crisis led President Tinubu to suspend Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for an initial six-month period. In their place, he appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Administrator of Rivers State to oversee governance and restore stability.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate,” President Tinubu stated in his national broadcast.

The crisis in Rivers State remains a significant issue, with political analysts warning of further instability if the underlying disputes are not resolved amicably.