On Monday, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), welcomed suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to a dinner in the United Kingdom. The gathering came on the heels of Wike’s Sunday visit to Port Harcourt, where he met with political allies in the Rivers State capital before departing for the UK that night. The event was shared by Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, on Facebook, who noted, “Yesterday, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hosted Rivers State House of Assembly members, currently in the UK for Legislative Capacity Building, to a dinner.”

The lawmakers in question were suspended by President Bola Tinubu following his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, triggered by security issues amid a deepening political rift between Wike and Governor Sim Fubara. Fubara himself faced a six-month suspension as part of the same measure. The ongoing feud has destabilized the state’s political landscape, including its legislative body.

The Supreme Court later stepped in, mandating the reinstatement of the lawmakers and instructing Fubara to submit the 2024 budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly. Yet, when Fubara tried to comply, the lawmakers prevented his entry into the Assembly complex. Currently, the suspended legislators are participating in a legislative capacity-building program in the UK, where Wike met them for this latest engagement.