Supporters of Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, gathered at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Friday morning to await his return.

It was gathered that the governor, who had been on a trip to the United Kingdom, was expected back in the country.

Crowds of his loyalists, including former members of his cabinet, sang and danced both around the airport premises and on the steps leading to the arrival hall.

A day earlier, a similar group had converged in front of the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, hoping to receive Fubara following his reinstatement.

However, the governor did not appear at the government house, sparking speculation over his whereabouts.

Fubara has not officially resumed duties since the end of emergency rule in the state.

Reacting to criticism over his absence, Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), argued that no law compels the governor to return to his office immediately.

According to Wike, governance is not restricted to physical presence in an office.

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month emergency rule imposed on Rivers State due to a prolonged political crisis.

The president directed Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly to resume duties on Thursday, September 18.

The Lagos State Police Command has announced the arrest of Shamsideen Adio, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, for allegedly assaulting a dispatch rider to death on Tapa Street, Lagos Island.

Information gathered on Thursday revealed that the incident began after a dispute broke out between Adio and the rider over claims that the rider had scratched his vehicle.

Chris Nwandu, a journalist and Facebook user, who shared footage of the incident on Thursday, said it occurred on Wednesday.

According to Nwandu, the confrontation escalated when Adio, assisted by some colleagues, reportedly attacked the rider and beat him severely.

He wrote: “A popular Lagos Island NURTW top official by the name Shamsideen Adio mercilessly beat a dispatch rider to a pulp on Wednesday in Tapa Street, Lagos Island, for obstructing his way while driving on the road.

“He was joined by his other friends and colleagues, battering the poor guy as they liked. We are reliably informed that he’s notorious for beating Marwa (tricycle) operators to a pulp whenever they offend him.

“It was reported that a few days ago, he also dealt deadly blows to a Marwa operator who ended up in the general hospital.”

Efforts to reach Abimbola Adebisi, spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, for comment on Thursday were unsuccessful, as her phone line was unreachable.

However, a police officer familiar with the case confirmed that the rider died from the injuries sustained in the assault.

“The victim died from the injuries and the suspect has been arrested. He is now at the State Criminal Investigation Department,” the source said.

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has said that every decision concerning the recent local government elections in Rivers state was made with the input of Governor Siminalayi Fubara during the emergency rule.

The former Rivers governor made the claim on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted the August 30 polls under the oversight of Ibok-Ete Ibas, the sole administrator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to govern the state during the emergency rule.

Fubara and his political allies, however, did not participate in the elections.

Reacting to the governor’s absence, Wike explained that he had personally gone to Fubara’s home to deliberate on the polls.

According to him, the governor had informed him earlier that he would not be available on election day due to a family engagement.

“This is what Nigerians should know: the governor wanted to come and see me. I said, ‘No, you’re the governor.’ I drove to the governor’s house by 1 am,” Wike said.

“I, the former governor of Rivers state, drove to the governor’s house at 1 am. I said, ‘Your Excellency, what do we do?’ There’s nothing that was done that the governor wasn’t part of.”

He added that Fubara travelled out of the state before the polls took place.

“Even before the election, the governor travelled. He told me he will not be around because his son has this engagement,” Wike said.

The FCT minister further accused critics of spreading misinformation about the Rivers political situation.

“People just sit somewhere and begin to talk about all kinds of things they don’t even know,” he said.

“All they were expecting is, ‘Oh, they’ve not settled.’ Unfortunately, where people will be collecting money is no longer there.”

The local government elections were largely won by the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Fubara — a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — losing in his own local government area.