By Emeka Amaefula
RIVERS STATE CRISIS LATEST: WILL ALABO DAX GEORGE KELLY REPLACE GOV SIM FUBARA
The crisis rocking political landscape of rivers state since October 2024 to date must have entered its crescendo with the Supreme Court of Nigeria Judgment of February 28th 2025 which jolted political pundits in Rivers state and beyond. The 27 embattled Lawmakers led by Speaker Rt. Honourable Martins Chike Amaewhule right now is poised for further political war against the incumbent governor Siminalayi Fubara whose faulty steps in the statecraft management led him to have sidelined an arm of Government being the Legislature according the Judgment as delivered by Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Truly armed with the Supreme Court Judgment, Rt. Hon. Martins Chike Amaewhule and his 26 fellow lawmakers are now defining and directing the affairs of Lawmakers in Rivers state House of Assembly which comprises the remnant of the 4 loyalists to Governor Siminalayi Fubara with one dead member in a 32 member House of Assembly.
During the 2022 Rivers state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Gubernatorial Primary election when the former Governor now FCT Abuja Minister Nyesom Wike was searching for his successor he quickly picked two members of his inner kitchen cabinet including the current Governor who was Accountant General of Rivers state and the then Commissioner for Works, Dr. Alabo Dax George Kelly. As delegates filed to cast their votes at Dr. Obi Wali Cultural Civic Centre Port Harcourt, Siminalayi Fubara came first while Alabo Daxx George Kelly came second place as Chief Felix Obuah got only one vote from the delegates as he walked away from the venue before the results were announced.
Going the political permutations whereas Siminalyi Fubara hails from the Rivers South East senatorial district , Alabo Dax George Kelly hails from Rivers West senatorial District that produced Dr Peter Odili in 1999 as duly elected Governor of Rivers state for 8 years. Now that Siminalyi Fubara is of Ijaw ethnic group as well Alabo Dax George Kelly is of Kalabari Ijaw that only produced the first female Deputy Governor Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo who is now a senator representing Rivers West in the 10th Senate.
If the current political crisis leads to resignation or impeachment of the incumbent Governor for whatever reasons of constitutional breach and Gross Misconduct as may be alleged by the Members of the Martins Amaewhule led Rivers state House of Assembly, it will definitely go according to the dictates of the FCT Abuja Minister Nyesom Wike who would favour Alabo Dax George Kelly as replacement through bye election or 2027 Governorship election after which there must have been Acting Governor of the state should Rt. Honourable Martins Amaewhule scripts scale through. From every indication Wike on Saturday 15th of March, 2025 fixed Thanksgiving ceremony at Abalama community in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers state as a means of shoring up support for Alabo Dax George Kelly as a probable replacement of Siminalyi Fubra who has fallen apart from his political family known as Grassroot Development Initiatives-GDI .
The Thanksgiving ceremony had generated much controversy by the Kalabari ethnic nationality as the Traditional Rulers in support of Governor Siminalayi Fubara vehemently disassociated self from the ceremony those among the traditional Rulers supporting FCT Minister Wike were said to have been mobilized by the former Local Government Council Chairman of Akuku Toru LGA Dr. Roland Sekibo. It is also on record that the current Secretary To Rivers State Government Dr. Tammy Wenike Danagogo hails from Kalabari ethnic nationality goes a long way to heighten tension as Ijaw political pressures groups are all jostling for positions in either of the political divide in Kalabariland with the question of will Alabo Dax George Kelly be chosen as a replacement for Governor Siminalyi Fubara? Time will tell as political melodrama unfolds in Rivers state.
Why the odds are against Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu is the fact she was introduced by an Odili political family that is currently in logger head with FCT Minister Wike. Again she hails from the same Local Government Area Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA with Dr. Odili. The expected backlash of any impeachment reaction coming from the Ijaw Youths in the Creeks will definitely impact negatively to Crude oil production as the groups have come out to threaten economic wellbeing of Nigeria should Governor Siminalyi Fubara be impeached.
————————–Emeka Amaefula————–+234(0)8111813069———————————–
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