Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has held a dinner in the United Kingdom yesterday Monday, April 7th, for suspended Rivers State assembly lawmakers who are reportedly there for “legislative capacity building.”
Lere Olayinka, Wike’s senior special assistant on public communications and social media, shared a video on X, confirming the dinner. He noted that Wike had traveled to the UK on Sunday night, following a visit to his political associates in Port Harcourt.
The lawmakers’ UK trip, which began last week, was announced earlier as a five-day tour focused on enhancing their legislative skills. According to a statement by Martins Wachukwu, media aide to Rivers assembly speaker Martin Amaewhule, the tour, centered in Central London, was intended for peer review and gaining deeper parliamentary insights. Lawmakers expressed optimism that the trip would strengthen their oversight functions.
This UK tour occurs amidst a tense political climate in Rivers State. President Tinubu recently suspended both Governor Sim Fubara and the assembly lawmakers, citing a prolonged political crisis between the governor and his political godfather, Nyesom Wike. Furthermore, the President appointed retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s sole administrator.