PHOTO NEWS: Wike fetes suspended Rivers lawmakers in London
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday feted the suspended Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers in London.
The minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, said the lawmakers, who are in the UK for “legislative capacity building,” were hosted to a dinner by the minister.
Rivers State has been mired in a protracted political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, now FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
In late 2024, 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike defected from the PDP to the APC and were subsequently suspended by the pro‑Fubara assembly leadership, leading to rival legislative sittings.
In February 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that only lawmakers who resigned and secured re‑election could change parties, invalidating the mass defections and ordering their reinstatement.
Following the Supreme Court’s judgement and efforts by Governor Fubara to implement, the federal government briefly declared a state of emergency in the state, citing security concerns and appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as sole administrator to oversee governance until normalcy returned.
