In a surprising turn of events within the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, convened a session on Thursday, just 24 hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara orchestrated the demolition of the Assembly Complex on Moscow Road.
Despite a court order restraining them, the Amaewhule-led group conducted its plenary session at the auditorium of the Assembly Quarters on Aba Road. This move followed the declaration by Edison Ehie and his five-person group that 27 seats of lawmakers in the Amaewhule faction were vacant due to their defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
During the Thursday plenary, the Amaewhule group vehemently condemned the demolition of the Assembly Complex by the state government. Ofiks Kagbang, the lawmaker representing the Andoni constituency, initiated a motion of urgent public importance condemning the act, and the House unanimously adopted it.
Simultaneously, Major Jack presented the Rivers State Local Government Amendment Bill report to the Speaker, which received approval. The group's Speaker emphasized that passing this bill into law would curtail the governor's authority to dissolve Local Government Executives.
Despite the leadership crisis and the court proceedings between Ehie and Amaewhule, the Amaewhule group persisted with its legislative activities. The auditorium at the Assembly Quarters became their temporary venue for sittings, with 26 lawmakers in attendance.
In other developments, Governor Fubara presented the state's 2024 budget to the Ehie group at the Government House on Wednesday. The ongoing conflict between Ehie and Amaewhule stems from their allegiance to Fubara and ex-governor Nyesom Wike, respectively. Previously described as having a 'father-son relationship,' the rift between Wike and Fubara escalated in October when the Amaewhule group initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara. The resulting leadership struggle is currently playing out in the courts.
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