Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is yet to be seen publicly nearly 24 hours after the emergency rule imposed on the state was lifted.
President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers at the height of the rift between Fubara and loyalists of his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Tinubu had suspended Fubara, Ngozi Odu, the Deputy Governor, and members of the Rivers House of Assembly for six months. He also appointed former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibot Ekwe Ibas, as Sole Administrator of the state, a move that was heavily criticised.
But on Wednesday, the President announced that the emergency rule would elapse at midnight, explaining that feelers from the state showed there was no need for it to last a day longer. He had subsequently ordered Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers to resume duties.
However, while the House of Assembly members convened plenary, neither Fubara nor his deputy was seen in public.
The crowd which trooped to Government House, Port Harcourt, had dispersed hours after waiting for the governor’s return.
The gathering was made up of members of the Simplified Movement, the governor’s political support group.
Reportedly mobilised from across the 23 local government areas of the state, they had planned to put up a show of solidarity for the governor. Among those present were recently sacked local government chairmen and former factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo.
The supporters began arriving at the Government House as early as 6 a.m., equipped with traditional musical instruments, flutes, drums, and dance troupes.
The crowd took over Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, causing major gridlock. But by mid-day, they started dispersing.
It is unclear why the governor had not returned to his position.
Amid the emergency rule, Fubara reportedly held a peace meeting with Wike and the lawmakers at the behest of Tinubu. Quoting presidential insiders, TheCable reported that one of the key terms of the meeting was that Fubara must forgo any plans to seek a second term in 2027. The platform also said the governor was asked to allow Wike nominate all the local government chairpersons across the 23 LGAs of the state.
Although the election held last month, Fubara neither participated nor made comments about it.
Attempts to reach Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara’s spokesman, over the governor’s whereabouts were unsuccessful as his telephone line was unreachable as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said there is no law compelling Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to immediately return to office following the end of the six-month emergency rule.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, Wike dismissed concerns over Fubara’s absence. He maintained that governance extends beyond physical presence in the office, stressing that the governor has the prerogative to determine when and how he resumes official duties.
He said: “I am not his (Fubara) protocol officer. There is no law that says he must resume work today. He is a governor. I don’t understand the way we operate. Being sworn in today does not mean I will go to the office tomorrow.
“You don’t know what my programmes are. You don’t know where he is. Governance does not mean one must be in the office to govern.”
Pressed further on Fubara’s whereabouts, he said: “I am not his Chief Security Officer. I am not his protocol officer.”
While stating that peace had been restored in Rivers, Wike noted that political actors were now committed to stability.
“As I speak to you, as of yesterday, I spoke to the governor (Fubara). I told him I was leaving that night to come back, and he told me he was leaving this morning. So, I can tell you that, by the grace of God, peace has returned,” the minister said.
