The political stability of Rivers State appears increasingly precarious as supporters of the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, have threatened a formal showdown with Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The group alleges that the Deputy Governor has been systematically sidelined, neglected, and reduced to a “passive onlooker” within the administration.
The brewing internal friction comes on the heels of Governor Fubara’s recent dissolution of the State Executive Council. This move followed a reconciliatory meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu, aimed at resolving the protracted feud between the Governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Operating under the aegis of the Progressives for the Oppressed Group, loyalists expressed profound dissatisfaction with the Governor’s failure to involve Professor Odu in the governance of the state. They claim that despite her high-ranking position, she has been denied the traditional statutory responsibilities typically afforded to her office.
The group’s Director of Public Relations, Japhet Amadi, detailed a litany of grievances during a briefing with the press. He alleged that the Deputy Governor has not been permitted to appoint a single Commissioner, Special Adviser, or board member since the administration’s inception in 2023.
“It is very unfortunate that the Governor never cared about his continued neglect of his deputy,” Amadi stated. “She never nominated a councillor or a member of any board. She remained silent in the hope that she would at least be permitted to nominate the Chairman of her own Local Government Area (LGA), yet even that nominee was stepped down without explanation.”
The loyalists further alleged that the Deputy Governor is being deprived of basic official comforts and administrative inclusion. Claims surfaced that Professor Odu is excluded from critical meetings and is not supervising any ministry, notably the Ministry of Health, which has traditionally been overseen by Deputy Governors in Rivers State.
In a particularly stinging assessment, a communication from the group described her position as “worse than a spare tyre,” claiming she has no new official vehicle and continues to use an ageing car inherited from the previous administration, while the Governor has reportedly procured several new vehicles for his own use.
Perhaps most significant is the claim that Professor Odu has remained “absolutely loyal” to Governor Fubara despite the alleged ill-treatment. Loyalists pointed out that she has pointedly refused to defect to the camp of Nyesom Wike, even as the State House of Assembly continues to exert pressure on the Governor’s office.
The group warned that if the Governor continues to isolate his deputy during the forthcoming reconstitution of the cabinet, the current “silence” will be replaced by a more confrontational political stance.
As of the time of reporting, the Rivers State Government House has not issued an official rebuttal to these claims. However, the emergence of this new internal front suggests that Governor Fubara’s challenges extend beyond his well-documented rift with the FCT Minister, now touching the very heart of his own executive branch.
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