Rivers: Pro-Wike’s Commissioner Resigns Over Redeployment

Rivers State’s Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Professor Zacchacus Adangor, has resigned following his redeployment from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Special Duties. The resignation comes amid escalating tensions within the administration of Governor Similanayi Fubara, highlighting deepening political rifts in the state.

Adangor, a staunch ally of Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was reassigned by Governor Fubara as part of a broader reshuffling of his cabinet. Along with Adangor, Isaac Kamalu, another Wike loyalist, was moved from his role as Finance Commissioner to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment. Both were instructed to hand over their responsibilities to the Permanent Secretaries in their respective ministries.

In a letter dated 24 April 2024, addressed to the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Professor Adangor announced his resignation, citing willful interference by Governor Fubara in his role as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. He stated that the governor had directed him not to defend or oppose suits brought against the Attorney General and the Rivers State government by individuals allegedly hired by the state.

“I wish to state for the record that I am no longer willing to serve in Sir Similanayi Fubara’s administration in any capacity whatsoever,” Adangor wrote in his resignation letter. He noted that he had served in the Rivers State cabinet for the past five years but felt compelled to resign to preserve his reputation.

The resignation underscores the ongoing struggle within Rivers State’s political landscape, reflecting a wider division between factions loyal to Wike and those aligned with Fubara. The move to reassign Adangor and Kamalu was initially part of a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu, which aimed to resolve the conflict between the Wike and Fubara camps. However, the recent events indicate that the accord has collapsed, leading to renewed hostilities.