A former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Uwemedimo Nwoko, has weighed in on the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, stating that Governor Siminalayi Fubara has no choice but to obey the Supreme Court judgment regarding the crisis.
Nwoko, while speaking with Vanguard on Friday, described President Bola Tinubu’s directive to PANDEF leaders to advise Fubara on compliance as unnecessary, arguing that the governor has never shown any intention to disobey the court ruling.
“For me, the advice that Fubara should implement the Supreme Court judgment is unnecessary because Fubara does not have a choice. But for the President to advise so, he is talking as a father of the country, as somebody who wants to show that he is interested in respect for the rule of law,” Nwoko stated.
He added, “To be fair to Fubara, he has not said he will not obey the Supreme Court judgment. What choice does he have? So he does not even need that advice.”
Commenting on the Wednesday drama in Rivers State, where Fubara attempted to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill but was locked out of the State House of Assembly complex, Nwoko dismissed the event as a setback for democracy and a clear indicator of where the problem lies.
“I do not see that as being negative at all because it happened in the full glare of the whole world. Everybody saw that the governor went to present the budget, and the lawmakers did not allow him to enter the Assembly complex,” he said.
He, however, cautioned Fubara to be more strategic in handling the situation, saying his advisers must think critically to navigate the crisis effectively.
“The governor has a card he can play; it is for him to manage this situation well. He has been casual about what he is doing. His advisers need to put on their thinking cap,” Nwoko advised.
Tinubu’s Meeting With PANDEF Leaders
Naijaonpoint reports that Nwoko’s remarks come days after President Tinubu met with the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he instructed them to return and urge Governor Fubara to embrace peace.
The delegation, led by King Alfred Diete-Spiff (former military governor of old Rivers State) and Obong Victor Attah (former governor of Akwa Ibom State), sought Tinubu’s fresh intervention to prevent the feud between Fubara and Wike from escalating into a full-blown crisis.
Others present at the meeting included PANDEF’s National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali.
Tinubu, while addressing the group, emphasized the importance of political stability in Rivers State, directing the leaders to advise Fubara to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling and de-escalate tensions in the state.
PANDEF, founded in 2016 as an umbrella body of traditional rulers, leaders, and stakeholders in the Niger Delta, was initially convened by the late Senator Edwin Clark, who served as its National Leader until his passing last month.