A report by Daily Trust has detailed how the political relationship between Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Governor Sim Fubara fell apart.
Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers and Fubara, have been at loggerheads in the past few days, causing political tension in the state.
According to the report, the October 30 attempt by the Martins Amaehwule-led Rivers state House of Assembly to impeach Governor Fubara was the climax of the silent war between the governor and his godfather and political benefactor, Wike.
The two political gladiators had engaged in a silent war for several weeks over issues they had not made known to the public.
Sources close to both politicians quoted in the report stated that trouble started due to the dos and don’ts set up for Fubara as the governor of the state, an agreement an unverifiable account noted was binding on him.
One of the agreements was the appointment of commissioners and key functionaries of the Fubara-led administration by Wike.
The former governor was said to have influenced the selection of almost all the commissioners and critical government functionaries without any input from Fubara.
The governor appeared to have become tired of the overbearing influence of his predecessor and mentor, which has come to an appalling level.
Before the Monday attempt to remove him through impeachment, the duo avoided each other, unlike when they attended state functions together. The governor hardly appeared in a function without Wike.
Unlike before, Governor Fubara was said to be absent in some of the functions in the state, which the former governor attended. For instance, he was absent at the unveiling of a building donated to the Anglican Church in Eleme by Wike’s close ally, Marcus Nle Ejeh, one month ago.
Fubara was also absent at a recent workshop organised in Port Harcourt by an association of junior lawyers, which the minister and other prominent citizens of the state attended. He instead sent the attorney-general of the state to represent him.
The silent war between the two came to a boiling point on Sunday when yet-to-be-identified arsonists invaded the state House of Assembly located directly opposite the headquarters of the Rivers State police command and set the chamber ablaze.
The arsonists were said to have scaled the fence of the assembly complex and overpowered the security agents handling it before gaining access to the chamber.
Furniture and computer sets were destroyed in the inferno. However, the quick intervention of the men of the Fire Service stopped the fire from spreading to the entire Assembly complex.
On Monday, the Majority Leader of the House, Edison Ehie, a strong supporter of Governor Fubara, was removed to pave the way for a possible impeachment of the governor. He was said to have frustrated the initial attempt to initiate an impeachment process against the governor.
Announcing Ehie’s removal in Port Harcourt, the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaehwule, said he refused to attend their sitting. He said 24 members supported the removal of the Majority Leader.
Later that day, Ehie emerged as parallel Speaker after claiming 26 members had elected him.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers has called on both the legislative and executive arms of government in the state to exercise restraint in the ongoing impasse.
The party, in a statement signed by the state chairman, Desmond Akawor, and secretary, Benebo George, noted that it was consulting with elders and other notable personalities in the state to resolve the situation.
But former Governor Wike said he would do everything within his power to protect his political structure in the state. He made this known to PDP governors on Wednesday when they visited him in Abuja.
