By Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has dismissed allegations made against him by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service, calling them false, misleading, and politically motivated.
Spear News reports that Dr. George Nweke, leveled grave allegations against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, claiming the governor ordered the burning of the state House of Assembly and conspired to cripple Nigeria’s oil production to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
This is even as he alleged further plot to use militant group and other influential leaders of the Niger Delta region to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Nweke, who served as the state’s highest ranking civil servant before his resignation, disclosed that he personally witnessed Governor Fubara direct his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, to set fire to the state legislative complex in October 2023 to prevent his impeachment. He alleged that a bag of money was handed to Ehie to execute the operation and dared the governor to publicly refute the allegations.
The former official also claimed Fubara later expressed regret for not demolishing another assembly building, reportedly stating, “If I had known earlier, I would have pulled down their hall.”
The accusations grew more severe as Nweke alleged that Fubara plotted economic sabotage by disrupting oil production in non-Ijaw areas, including Ogoni, Oyigbo, and Ahoada, to create the illusion of widespread unrest rather than targeted attacks. According to him, the governor boasted privately about leveraging control over pipelines in Rivers and Bayelsa States to influence the 2027 presidential election, allegedly saying, “We will use the Ijaws to decide who becomes Nigeria’s next president.” The plan, Nweke claimed, was designed to weaken the Tinubu administration and force a political realignment to favour an Ijaw vice President
Nweke connected these revelations to Fubara’s recent public statement about “telling the boys what to do,” suggesting it referenced these plans. He alleged the governor boasted of being “the David that will bring down the Goliath of Rivers State” with backing from influential figures including Dr. Peter Odili, who reportedly promised judicial support through university council contacts.
Nweke further accused Fubara of holding clandestine meetings with militant leaders, funneling state funds to compromise labour unions, and bankrolling media influencers to manipulate public opinion. He detailed suspicious late night meetings at the Government House involving politicians like Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, where large sums of money were allegedly disbursed to secure support for an unnamed northern presidential candidate.
However, in statement by Fubara on Saturday, the suspended governor described the allegations as laughable and baseless. He questioned how a civil servant like Nwaeke would have access to high-level political discussions. He clarified that Bala Mohammed’s visit to Rivers State was public knowledge, as he is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, and there was nothing secret about his engagements in the state
“It is ludicrous for Dr. Nwaeke to claim that he was aware of my meetings to encourage attacks on oil pipelines and national assets,” Fubara stated. “At no time did I hold any meeting with militants or criminal groups to destabilize the state. I have consistently preached peace, even in the face of provocations.”
The suspended governor alleged that Nwaeke had been compromised and was only making these accusations to serve the interests of those attempting to discredit his administration and undermine the peace process initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke,” Fubara urged, dismissing the allegations as a desperate attempt to disrupt ongoing peace efforts.
Discussion about this post