Wike loyalists storm council secretariat, vow to resist Fubara’s caretaker team

There is ongoing tension in Port Harcourt City Local Government Council (PHALGA) in Rivers State as youths, loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, gathered around the council premises amidst a crisis over local government administration. Police presence was heightened around PHALGA and other local council areas across the state to maintain order following reports of unrest. Speaking to Channels Television, Maxwell Enwukwe, a former Council Executive and current coordinator of grassroots development initiatives in PHALGA, emphasized their commitment to ensuring peace and order. “These are youths from Port Harcourt Local Government Council. We have come to ensure peace and order in our local government council because yesterday, we received information that some individuals gathered hoodlums to besiege the council even during a public holiday,” Enwukwe stated. He further explained, “Today, we have come to see why that happened, but fortunately, the police have taken over the local government council premises, and everyone is here peacefully. These are supporters of grassroots development initiatives loyal to the Minister of FCT.” Despite the police presence, the crowd remained stationed at the PHALGA environment, which is near the Rivers State Government House, indicating heightened tensions over the leadership dispute. The crisis was triggered by the expiration of the tenure of local government chairmen in Rivers State on Tuesday, with conflicting claims over tenure extension by the State House of Assembly. Governor Siminalayi Fubara has, however, maintained that there was no official extension of tenure and has proceeded to nominate caretaker committees for the 23 local government councils in the state.

Wike’s loyalist rejects Fubara’s redeployment, resigns as Rivers commissioner

The Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccaeus Adangor, SAN has rejected his redeployment to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office), and consequently resigned from the State Executive Council. Adangor’s resignation came barely 24 hours after the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, redeployed him in a minor cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday. Fubara, in a letter issued on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, redeployed Adangor alongside the State Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, who himself was moved to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment Adangor and Kamalu, as well as seven other commissioners who had previously resigned from Fubara’s cabinet in the heat of the political crisis that rocked the state, are loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Adangor’s resignation was contained in a letter he personally signed, dated April 24 and addressed to the SSG on Wednesday and obtained by our correspondent. The letter was titled, “Cabinet Reshufflement: Notice of Rejection of Deployment and Resignation from the Rivers State Executive Council.” Adangor accused Fubara of willfully interfering with the performance of his duties as Commissioner. He further said the governor had in the last few weeks directed him not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits instituted against his office and the Government of Rivers State by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the Government of Rivers State. The six-point letter reads, “My attention has been drawn to your letter dated April 23, 2024, and widely circulated on social media whereby I was “deployed to the ministry of special duties (governor’s office). I hereby give you notice of my rejection of the said deployment and resignation from the Rivers State Executive Council with effect from the 24th day of April 2024. “I wish to state for the record that I am no longer willing to continue to serve in the administration of His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, in any capacity whatsoever. “It is important to mention that the Governor of Rivers State had in the past couple of weeks willfully interfered with the performance of my duties as the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State, by directing me not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits instituted against the Honourable Attorney-General and the Government of Rivers State by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the Government of Rivers State. “Having served the Government and good people of Rivers State dutifully as a member of the Rivers State Executive Council for the past five years, it has become imperative for me to quit the administration in order to preserve my reputation. “I wish the administration of His Excellency well.”