By Our Correspondent
The political crisis in Rivers State took a sharper turn after embattled lawmakers rejected a ₦100,000 Christmas gift reportedly extended to them and insisted on proceeding with the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The lawmakers’ decision signaled a hardening of positions and underscored the growing collapse of dialogue in the protracted power struggle rocking the state.
Defending the lawmakers’ stance, George said repeated efforts by President Bola Tinubu to broker peace had been treated with contempt. According to him, the first presidential intervention was dismissed and ridiculed by some actors as a mere political arrangement with no binding force, weakening trust in the process from the outset.
George noted that the second intervention required enormous political capital from the president, who convened key stakeholders in a bid to stabilize the state. However, he lamented that after agreements were reached, some parties reneged on the terms, throwing the state back into uncertainty. “The second time, the president went through hell to assemble stakeholders, to broker this peace, and then somebody goes back and reneges,” he said.
He warned that presidential intervention should not be mistaken for immunity from due process or the rule of law. “You can’t keep breaking the law and expecting the president to come to your rescue,” George stated, insisting that governance must be anchored on respect for institutions, not personal loyalty or political maneuvering.
The rejection of the Christmas gift, according to observers, was intended to send a message that the lawmakers were not open to what they perceived as symbolic gestures in place of concrete political concessions. Instead, they remain resolute on impeachment, a move that threatens to further polarize the state and disrupt governance.
The Rivers State crisis began shortly after Governor Fubara fell out with his predecessor and political benefactor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyisom Wike, leading to a split within the House of Assembly and a battle for control of the party structure and state institutions. What started as an internal power tussle quickly escalated into legislative paralysis, street-level tensions, and federal intervention.
Whether a political solution is still possible remains uncertain. While dialogue remains the most sustainable path out of the crisis, repeated breakdowns in trust have made reconciliation increasingly difficult. Without genuine commitment from all sides, analysts warn that Rivers State may remain trapped in a cycle of confrontation, legal battles, and unstable governance.