In a decisive demonstration of legislative power, the Pro-Nyesom Wike-led Rivers State House of Assembly, under Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has forcefully overridden Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s refusal to assent to three critical bills.
This act not only underscores the legislature’s resolve but also exposes deep fractures in the state’s political leadership.
The contested bills—The Rivers State Education (Return of Schools) (Amendment) Bill, The Rivers Electricity Market Bill, and The Rivers State Commissions of Inquiry Bill, 2024—have now been enacted into law through the legislature’s invocation of Section 100(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This constitutional provision empowers the Assembly to bypass the Governor’s assent if withheld.
During the 94th Legislative Sitting, Speaker Amaewhule condemned Governor Fubara’s alleged inaction, accusing him of dereliction of duty and a flagrant disregard for the state’s progress.
“The state must move forward,” Amaewhule declared emphatically. “We cannot allow the Governor’s indolence and ineptitude to hold us back.”
He further lambasted the Governor, accusing him of operating as though he were above the Constitution, the judiciary, and the state’s legal framework.
The Speaker framed the override as an essential correction to what he described as the Governor’s overreach and neglect.
This development marks yet another chapter in the escalating conflict between the Rivers State House of Assembly and Governor Fubara.
Notably, the legislature had previously overridden the Governor’s assent on four other bills in 2024, signaling a persistent struggle for dominance between the two arms of government.
While the Speaker hailed this latest action as a victory for the legislative arm, it also highlights a governance crisis that threatens to undermine the state’s democratic principles and progress.
The overriding of the Governor’s assent underscores a legislature unwilling to compromise on its constitutional mandate, even as tensions with the executive escalate to unprecedented levels.
This bold assertion of legislative independence raises questions about the future of leadership in Rivers State, with both the Assembly and the Governor locked in a high-stakes battle that could reshape the political landscape.
Credit: The Whistle
