Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers State, on Monday night, hosted a private dinner in London for the embattled Rivers State lawmakers suspended amid the state’s deepening political crisis. The lawmakers, currently in the UK for a legislative capacity-building retreat, were welcomed by Wike in what sources describe as a “strategic political consolidation.”
The gathering comes less than 48 hours after Wike held a closed-door meeting in Port Harcourt with key political allies. Insiders say the Monday night dinner in the UK may be part of renewed efforts by the FCT Minister to tighten his grip on the Rivers political landscape, following the breakdown in relations between him and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Media aide to the minister, Lere Olayinka, confirmed the dinner via Facebook, stating: “Yesterday, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, hosted Rivers State House of Assembly members who are in the United Kingdom for Legislative Capacity Building, to a dinner. Wike left Nigeria on Sunday night after visiting his political friends and associates in Port Harcourt.”
The lawmakers in question were suspended in December 2023 during the height of the political standoff between President Bola Tinubu and Rivers State leadership. The emergency suspension, which also included Governor Fubara for six months, followed escalating tensions over executive-legislative control, threats to public safety, and divided loyalty within the ruling party.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling reinstating the legislators and mandating Fubara to present the 2024 budget before the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly, the Governor’s attempts were repeatedly blocked. The Assembly complex remained off-limits, with heightened security tensions effectively frustrating legislative proceedings and deepening the constitutional impasse.
Political observers believe Wike’s UK dinner could signify a fresh plot to realign loyalty within the Assembly, especially as Fubara continues to face administrative and legislative sabotage back home. The lawmakers remain a strong power bloc, many of whom are seen as loyal to Wike’s political structure, making their role crucial ahead of the 2026 elections.
As the lawmakers continue their stay in the UK for the capacity programme, the Fubara-Wike feud threatens to destabilize Rivers State’s governance. No official statement has been released by Governor Fubara’s media office regarding the London meeting.
