THE Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has insisted that the seats of Martin Amaewhule and the 25 other lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remained vacant..
The governor stated this in a statement issued by his chief press secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, on Wednesday, July 10.
According to the governor, the legislators who defected willingly strayed from the platform on which they were elected and will eventually head back home because that is what they wanted.
The statement said the governor made the clarification on Wednesday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, during a solidarity visit by women, youths, and opinion leaders from the Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas of the state.
Fubara pleaded with the legislators to come to terms with reality and see the progress being made by his government.
The governor added that his administration had begun working on the 2025 appropriations bill, emphasising that agriculture, healthcare, and education would take a chunk of the budget.
“Don’t bother about those people who are delusional. They think we are still sleeping. Let me tell you people so that they can hear anywhere they are.
“I wanted to help them, sincerely because I know them. And I have said it before, these are people that I have helped. I paid their children’s school fees. I paid their house rent. So, I wanted to help them.
“We all knew what happened when they crossed, and how did they cross? Because of our God, for them to make that mistake, they crossed! They are gone, and they are gone. Now, let me tell you: when I wanted to help them, I accepted to help them because we are all one. We disagree to agree as it is said,” the governor stated.
He reaffirmed that his government was not in conflict with anyone and would keep appreciating to those who contributed to his success in life.u
But the governor made it clear that remaining loyal does not imply sacrificing one’s freedom, judgment, or sense of right and wrong. Therefore, he would not be a governor who is compelled to submit, he stated..
Fubara reaffirmed his government commitment to delivering quality education, health and others to Rivers people.
He added that children in the state needed to go to quality schools, even if they couldn’t go to private schools.
“Let them go to the public ones that have standards. We need to go to good health facilities owned by the government and get standard healthcare services,” Fubara said.
The ICIR reported on Monday, July 8 that the 26 lawmakers loyal to the state former governor, Nyesom Wike, gave Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget.
The lawmakers had their first sitting after a Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated their sack by the state High Court for defecting from the PDP to the APC.
They gave the directive while a parallel sitting was taking place by the other faction of the House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
While the Amaehwule-led team held its session at the House of Assembly Quarters, the pro-Fubara lawmakers sat in an improvised Hallowed Chamber within the Government House.
The ICIR reports that Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads over who controls the PDP structure and other issues in the state.
Though a PDP member, Wike currently serves in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
The feud has degenerated into nearly a physical combat between their loyalists and possible chaos was palpable in the state that President Tinubu had to intervene twice.
Despite the President’s intervention, the feud has festered.
A reporter with the ICIR
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