The suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara, has released explosive screenshots of private conversations between former Head of Service (HoS), George Nwaeke, and Chief of Staff, Ederson Ehie, in a bid to challenge allegations leveled against him.
The revelations come in response to accusations by Nwaeke, who had earlier credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency with preventing total chaos in Rivers State. Nwaeke accused Fubara of being the mastermind behind the state’s recent political unrest, claiming that the governor had orchestrated the destruction of public assets and had ulterior motives that could have led to widespread anarchy.
At a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Friday, Nwaeke insisted that his resignation was voluntary and was not influenced by external pressures or dismissal. However, Fubara swiftly countered these claims in a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, dismissing Nwaeke’s allegations as “laughable.”
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me,” Fubara asserted.
To support his claim, the embattled governor presented a series of WhatsApp messages to Channels Television, suggesting that Nwaeke had been seeking financial support and loyalty assurances from Ehie. The messages allegedly reveal that Nwaeke complained about his monthly earnings of ₦500,000 being insufficient to sustain him, implying a possible motive for his sudden shift in loyalty.
The unfolding controversy has further deepened the political crisis in Rivers State, raising questions about the integrity of key political players and the influence of external forces in the state’s governance. With these latest developments, tensions in the state remain high as Nigerians await further reactions from stakeholders involved in the crisis.
