Rivers crisis: Amaechi exposes how money caused fight between Wike, Fubara

• Amaechi accused Fubara and Wike's feud of being driven by financial disputes and political interests
• He argued that President Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State was unconstitutional
• Amaechi urged Rivers residents to protest the imposition of military-style governance

A former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has suggested that the ongoing feud between the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is rooted in disputes over financial resources.

In a recent interview with DW Africa on Saturday, March 29, Amaechi expressed his views on the escalating tensions, asserting that the conflict is primarily about money-sharing and political power.

“The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. If not, what is the quarrel? Nigerians no longer seem to care about corruption. I’ve not seen anyone questioning what the problem really is. Why can't both of them just speak to the public and tell us what the issue is?” Amaechi commented.

The former governor also took aim at the state of governance in Rivers, highlighting that the region is currently being denied democracy, which he described as “military rule.” 

He pointed out that Rivers is the only state in the country where democracy is being undermined, following the imposition of emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu.

Amaechi argued that this emergency rule is unconstitutional, stating, “We are now denied democracy. Rivers State is the only state in the country currently not enjoying democracy. They have imposed military rule on us."

He further referred to the legal framework under Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, which outlines the processes for the removal of a governor. Amaechi stressed that the Constitution does not grant the president the power to unilaterally remove a governor, calling the president’s actions unconstitutional.

“The president acted outside the Constitution. Section 188 states how a governor can leave office, either by death, resignation, or impeachment. It didn’t say that one day you wake up and a man called the president of Nigeria will throw you out of office, which makes democracy unstable,” Amaechi added.

The former governor speculated that the real reason behind the president's actions could be a desire to control state governance in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections, ensuring the support of governors who align with his political interests.

“Rumours are everywhere that if any governor is not careful, the president will remove you. So the Rivers issue is about sharing money and 2027 politics,” Amaechi suggested.

He also questioned the logic behind the emergency rule imposed in Rivers, given the broader insecurity issues across Nigeria. 

He pointed out that while the president cited a pipeline explosion as the reason for declaring Rivers as unstable, other regions of the country, such as the North East, North West, South East, and South South, also face significant security challenges.

“If the President said that the pipe that exploded was the reason why he tagged Rivers unstable and insecure by declaring a state of emergency, what about the other parts of the country where there is insecurity? Is the President saying that they should impose an emergency rule on him? They can’t because he is a democratically elected President,” Amaechi argued.

The former governor also stressed that security responsibility rests solely with the president, pointing out that the governor of Rivers had no role in the pipeline explosion.

“Why punish a man who did not commit any offence?” he questioned.

Amaechi urged the people of Rivers State to resist the imposition of emergency rule and called on them to protest against the decision.

Wike criticises Jonathan's lack of support amidst local government election tensions

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that former governor of Rivers State and incumbent minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, voiced his frustrations regarding the lack of support from his political ally, Goodluck Jonathan. 

Wike’s comments came when Rivers State was preparing for local government elections, threatening to further heighten political tension in the state.