Hon. Edison Ehie
By Eric Moore
CHIEF of Staff to suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Edison Ehie, has filed a N2 billion defamation suit against former State Head of Service, George Nwaeke, for accusing him of orchestrating the fire that engulfed the state’s House of Assembly in October 2023.
Also, Ehie named a television station that aired the interview in his suit.
In a statement released by his legal team, Ehie claims that Nwaeke’s accusation, made in a televised interview on March 29, 2025, was false and has severely damaged his reputation.
Ehie is praying the court to order for immediate retraction of the statement, a public apology from both Nwaeke and the television station, and a restraining order prohibiting further dissemination of the alleged false information.
He is also demanding N2 billion in general damages for the harm caused.
The suit was filed at a Rivers State court, where the judge, Justice Jumbo Stephens ordered Nwaeke to be served the legal documents through substituted means, including posting them at his Port Harcourt residence and publishing them in a national newspaper.
The fire incident in October, 2023, which occurred amidst a political feud between Governor Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, fueled tensions and led to the impeachment attempt against Fubara by lawmakers loyal to Wike.
This political crisis ultimately culminated in President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the state assembly for six months.
Nwaeke’s allegation, linking Ehie to the fire incident, gained significant attention, particularly given President Tinubu’s justification for the state of emergency citing the burning of the assembly building.
The former Head of Service alleged that he witnessed Ehie receiving a bag of money from Fubara, presumably for the House of Assembly raze, while at the Government House.