During a meeting with political and traditional leaders from Bayelsa State in Port Harcourt, Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State expressed his disdain for the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, asserting that they hold no legitimate presence.
Fubara emphasized that the Peace Accord he endorsed with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, was merely a political gesture, providing him with the authority to disregard the legislators.
He noted, “I granted them a sense of legitimacy through the Peace Accord, but their status is purely contingent on my acknowledgment, which stemmed from a political resolution facilitated by Tinubu.”
The Governor recounted, “Those individuals claiming to be Assembly members lack any true representation; their existence is a facade. I wish to categorically state this fact. I consented to the Peace Accord as a temporary measure to alleviate tensions.”
He added, “There was no legal mandate underpinning the Peace Accord; it was a political remedy to a volatile situation. Despite our differences, I hope for a reconciliation in the future. However, the time has come for me to assert that their legitimacy is non-existent.”
Highlighting the rift between himself and Wike, Fubara mentioned that the discord prompted some lawmakers to switch allegiance from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
In a bid to foster harmony, Tinubu intervened by mandating both factions to endorse a peace agreement, thereby recognizing the dissatisfied state legislators aligned with Wike.