Wike: Rivers Assembly Right In Locking Fubara Out Of Assembly Quarters For 2025 Budget Presentation

• Attacks Bayelsa Gov, PDP NWC, Says They Are Talking Nonesense

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike on Wednesday justified the decision of the Rivers State House of Assembly to lock out the governor, Sim Fubara, from the Assembly quarters where the governor had gone to present the 2025 budget in obedience to the Supreme Court judgement.

Fubara was at the official residence of the lawmakers where they have been holding their legislative sessions to present the budget, but on getting there, the entrance gate was locked.

About the same time, Wike was hosting some journalists to a media parley in Abuja which was beamed live. At the parley, Wike was asked a question about the development in Port Harcourt, specifically on the governor being unable to reach the assemblymen for the budget presentation.

While in front of the assembly quarters gate, Fubara told journalists that he had earlier written to the lawmakers informing them of his readiness to present the budget before them on Wednesday morning(today).

He also said he had made efforts to speak with the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, about his visit to the assembly for the budget presentation, but that they could not communicate.

He said he would wait to hear from the speaker, hoping that he would revert to him, even as he said he had to take the decision to make the budget presentation in obedience to the apex court judgement and in line with his desire for peace in the state.

The interview with Wike was about to be rounded off when a reporter drew his attention to the fact that Fubara was at the assembly complex to present the budget but that he was locked out.

In responding, Wike said the governor would have waited for a response from the assembly before going there. He said it was the governor that brought down the assembly complex and made them to be sitting in the assembly quarters.

According to Wike, Fubara ought to have respected the privacy of the legislators, knowing that they and their family members may not have been ready to receive him at the quarters as at the time he got there(about 11 am).

Saying that the decision of the governor to go there when he did not hear from the legislators was nonsensical. Wike also derided the governor of Bayelsa State and all other governors of the PDP and members of the NWC for insisting that the party’s zonal congress that took place in Calabar was a nullity, also calling it a nonsensical action that would not stand.

He also dared any of the PDP governors to look at him in the eyes and tell him that the south south congress would not stand, even as he said he had no plans to quit the PDP.