Fubara Vs Wike: Rivers Assembly Crisis Worsens As Rival Speakers Hold Separate Sittings

The Rivers State House of Assembly crisis worsened on Tuesday as two rival speakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubaraand his predecessor, who’s the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held separate sittings despite reported resolutions announced weeks ago.

THE WHISTLER had reported that both Fubara and Wike had a go at each other following months of cold war a few months after the governor assumed office.

The cold war was blown open when Fubara raced to thwart an impeachment plot being made against him by the lawmakers loyal to his predecessor, the FCT Minister.

The State Assembly complex was burnt down as the ensuing crisis escalated.

While the faction of the lawmakers loyal to Wike, headed by the Speaker, Martin Emaewhule, sat in an undisclosed location and issued an impeachment inquiry on the governor, the faction loyal to the governor elected a new speaker, Rt Hon Edison Ehie.

The Ehie faction immediately suspended the State Chief Judge, Chibuzor Amadi.

The governor also suspended all the local government chairmen in the state loyal to Wike and dared the governor when he said he would not be pushed into doing the bidding of a godfather.

Wike replied by saying he would not allow his “political structure to be taken over” as that would amount to rendering him politically impotent.

Political leaders in the state and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the party of the political gladiators intervened to resolve the crisis.

But any expectation that the crisis was over ended on Tuesday after both camps held rival sittings.

About 25 lawmakers loyal to Wike reportedly sat in an undisclosed location and deliberated on two items bordering on the suspension of strike by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PSAN and a call on the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to investigate the burning of the State Assembly complex.

The camp loyal to the state governor equally held their sitting and passed a vote of confidence on Fubara highlighting that he has begun developmental strides in the state.

A statement issued by the Legislative Aide to the factional Speaker, Ken Uche, noted, “It takes a man of vision to steer the ship of development for the benefit of the state.”

The statement, while condemning reported attacks on Ehie’s residence on Sunday said, “The House impressed on the need for the Inspector General of Police, and other related security apparatus of the state to investigate these attacks and bring the culprit to book.”