Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers says he is now ready to work with the state assembly, five days after the lawmakers withdrew their impeachment move against the governor and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
Mr Fubara stated this while congratulating the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Napoleon Ukalikpe and Bulabari Henrietta Bulabari, on their victory in last Saturday’s bye-election held in two constituencies in the state.
The governor’s congratulatory message to the APC candidates and lawmakers-elect was contained in a statement on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Onwuka Nzeshi.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the by-elections last Saturday to fill two vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
While Mr Ukalikpe emerged victorious for the Ahoada East State Constituency, Ms Bulabari won the Khana State Constituency II seat.
‘I look forward to working with Rivers assembly’
While congratulating the newly elected lawmakers, Mr Fubara said he was now ready to work with all the members of the Rivers assembly.
“It is the beauty of democracy. When people believe in your capacity, they will give you their votes. I look forward to working with the APC candidates and their colleagues in the State House of Assembly,” he said.
The governor described the victory of the two APC candidates in the election as “well deserved, given their popularity in their respective constituencies.”
He applauded residents of the two constituencies for the peaceful manner with which they conducted themselves before, during, and after the elections.
Background
The protracted political crisis in Rivers was doused recently, with the Rivers State House of Assembly, on 19 February, withdrawing its impeachment move against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Mrs Odu, a professor.
The withdrawal of the impeachment move followed a fresh peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu early this month.
The political crisis in Rivers was triggered by a feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Mr Wike influenced Mr Fubara’s emergence as governor in 2023, but both politicians fell out months after because of the struggle for control of the political structures in the oil-rich state.
President Tinubu had previously brokered two peace deals between the parties, but they all collapsed shortly after.
The crisis later resulted in the declaration of emergency rule in the state in 2025.
Mr Fubara, who was suspended by Mr Tinubu for six months alongside all elected officials in the state in March 2025, only returned to office in September of that year after the president declared an end to the emergency rule.
In early January, Mr Wike-backed members of the Rivers State House of Assembly commenced the third attempt to impeach Governor Fubara and his deputy.
The House had accused them of “gross misconduct,” including an alleged failure to comply with constitutional requirements, such as presenting the annual budget.
The impeachment move came shortly after Mr Wike accused Governor Fubara of reneging on an agreement they had in the last peace deal.
However, a State High Court in Rivers halted the impeachment move by restraining the assembly and the state’s chief judge from going ahead with it.
The latest intervention by Mr Tinubu was the fourth effort by the president to solve the protracted political crisis in the state.
Mr Wike, who confirmed the latest intervention by President Tinubu, expressed the hope that this would be the end of the political crisis in the state.