Key Points

• Edison Ehie claims he was offered N5 billion for impeachment.

• Rivers State Assembly is divided between Wike and Fubara’s factions.

• Ehie denies involvement in the 2023 bombing and plans to sue.

Edison Ehie, the chief of staff to the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, claims he was offered a N5 billion bribe to help impeach the governor.

Ehie, who also served as a factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, made this statement during an appearance on Channel TV’s Sunday Politics. H

e said the bribe offer came in October 2023, while he was still the majority leader of the assembly.

Ehie showed evidence of the offer on his phone, stating that he had printed and shared the information to protect himself from any harm.

While he did not name the person who offered the bribe, it is believed to have come from politicians close to former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Wike and Fubara’s ongoing political battle

The political battle between Wike and Fubara has caused divisions in the Rivers State Assembly.

The assembly is split into two factions: one loyal to Wike, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, and the other supporting Fubara, led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo.

This division has led to multiple failed attempts to impeach Fubara, including the latest attempt in March 2025, when lawmakers served a notice of misconduct against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

Ehie denies involvement in bombing, threatens legal action

In addition to the bribery claim, Ehie is also responding to accusations made by George Nwaeke, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service.

Nwaeke accused Ehie of being involved in the bombing of the assembly complex in 2023. Ehie denied these allegations, saying he had no involvement in the incident.

He also announced plans to take legal action against Nwaeke for criminal libel, demanding that Nwaeke prove his claims.

The political situation in Rivers State escalated when President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18, 2025.

Tinubu suspended Fubara, Odu, and all members of the state assembly for six months, appointing Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator.

This move has been criticized by various groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association and the PDP Governors Forum, who argue that it violates the Nigerian Constitution.