Rivers State Chaos: The Bitter Timeline OF Wike And Fubara’s Tumultuous Political Clash

The situation intensified on October 29, 2023, when a section of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex was bombed, escalating political tensions further. Fubara and Wike have been locked in a prolonged power struggle, both seeking control of the state’s political structures.

The conflict took a more violent turn on October 7, 2024, when three local government secretariats were set on fire, sparking fears of additional unrest.

In December 2023, the political crisis deepened when 27 lawmakers from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), igniting a constitutional debate. The Rivers State High Court ruled that the seats of the defecting lawmakers were vacant, but this decision was contested and led to a series of ongoing legal battles.

These events culminated in the President’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, aiming to restore stability and address the ongoing political unrest.

Below is a timeline of the key events in the Rivers political crisis:

• 29 October 2023 – A section of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex was bombed ahead of an impeachment attempt on Governor Fubara.
• 30 October 2023 – Some lawmakers, backed by Wike, initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
• 31 October 2023 – President Bola Tinubu mediated the political dispute between Fubara and Wike at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. However, the mediation failed quickly.
• 11 December 2023 – The 27 pro-Wike lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC, citing divisions within the PDP.
• 12 December 2023 – A State High Court cleared the way for Fubara-backed lawmakers to conduct legislative business, with the Amaewhule-led faction barred from interfering.
• 13 December 2023 – Edison Ehie, speaker of the four-member faction, declared the seats of the 27 defecting lawmakers vacant, intensifying the political battle.
• 14 December 2023 – Fubara signed the N800 billion 2024 budget into law, and the Attorney General resigned citing “personal principles.”
• 18 December 2023 – Fubara and Wike signed a peace deal at a meeting hosted by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
• 20 December 2023 – The lawmakers withdrew the impeachment notice against Governor Fubara.
• 31 December 2023 – Ehie, the factional speaker, resigned.
• 4 January 2024 – Ehie withdrew a contempt suit against pro-Wike lawmakers, suggesting the political crisis was nearing resolution.
• 22 January 2024 – A Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the state’s N800 billion budget signed into law by Governor Fubara.
• 26 January 2024 – The Rivers Assembly stripped Fubara of the power to appoint caretaker committees for local government councils.
• 24 April 2024 – Governor Fubara reshuffled his cabinet, but three Wike-backed commissioners rejected their redeployment, resigning soon after.
• 6 May 2024 – Governor Fubara declared there was no functional House of Assembly in Rivers.
• 8 May 2024 – Victor Oko-Jumbo, a lawmaker from Bonny Constituency, emerged as the speaker of a three-member Rivers Assembly.
• 10 May 2024 – Fubara moved legislative business to the Government House in Port Harcourt. A State High Court barred Wike’s allies from acting as lawmakers.
• 13 May 2024 – Governor Fubara vowed to probe Wike’s administration.
• 25 June 2024 – Dynamite exploded near Hotel Presidential during a protest supporting Wike.
• 4 July 2024 – The Appeal Court reinstated pro-Wike lawmakers, ruling that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to issue the previous ex parte order.
• 9 July 2024 – Pro-Wike lawmakers gave Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget.
• 13 August 2024 – Wike vowed never to support Fubara again, calling his successor “ungrateful.”
• 30 September 2024 – A Federal High Court barred INEC from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
• 5 October 2024 – Fubara conducted local elections, with APP winning in 22 local councils.
• 6 October 2024 – Fubara inaugurated the newly elected chairpersons at Government House.
• 7 October 2024 – Police unsealed local government secretariats after a four-month closure.
• 10 October 2024 – The Court of Appeal upheld the nullification of the 2024 budget and reaffirmed pro-Wike lawmakers’ legitimacy.
• February 2025 – The Supreme Court restored Amaewhule’s position as speaker and nullified Fubara’s local election.
• 18 March 2025 – President Bola Tinubu suspended Fubara and Odu for six months and declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.