Wike Vs Fubara: Ugonchinyere In The Eye Of The Storm As Rivers Lawmakers Move Against Him

The Rivers State caucus in the House of Representatives has urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to address Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere for his interference in the political crisis in Rivers State.

In a statement issued on Friday, caucus leader Hon. Dumnamene Dekor asserted that Ugochinyere, being from Imo State—a state with its own significant political and social challenges—should not involve himself in Rivers State affairs. Dekor emphasized that the disagreement in Rivers has never been brought before the House, making Ugochinyere’s intervention unwarranted.

The caucus criticized Ugochinyere for abandoning decorum and responsible conduct, which are expected of his position. They accused him of acting as an agent provocateur for personal gain, asserting that his actions outside the House infringe on the privileges of caucus members, undermine the House’s integrity, and violate sections 49 and 72 of the constitution.

The caucus’s statement read: “The attention of the Rivers Caucus in the House of Representatives has been drawn to yet another unfortunate and misleading press briefing by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere on Tuesday, regarding the ongoing disagreement between the governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly, and latterly, local government chairmen.

“His latest sponsored intervention is laden with all the ingredients that characterized all his previous outings: blackmail, half-truths, outright lies, misinformation and disinformation, and malicious propaganda.

“In every instance, his prejudicial media statements also constitute a thoughtless assault on due process and ongoing judicial processes aimed at resolving the disagreement in Rivers. As our colleague who sits in the House of Representatives today courtesy of the judgment of a court, that is beyond embarrassing.”

They concluded by calling on the House leadership to discipline Ugochinyere, stating, “We hereby publicly call on the leadership of the House of Representatives to take urgent steps to discipline and rein in this errant member who is gradually bringing disrepute to the House and soliciting the support of some gullible members without fully disclosing his pecuniary interest.”