26 Rivers lawmakers loyal to Wike
The 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike have commenced sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule convened on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at the House of Assembly quarters.
The single item to be considered by the lawmakers is the withdrawal of the impeachment notice against the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Recall the state has been embroiled in a crisis following a rift between Wike and his predecessor, Fubara.
As part of measures to resolve the rift, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with the warring parties in consultation with the Former governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili.
The rift between Wike and Fubara split lawmakers in the House with 27 of them decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party in whose central government Wike currently serves as minister.
The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.
The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.
However, after Monday’s meeting, the warring parties agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, be withdrawn immediately.
Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule and others involved in the crisis signed the agreement made available to Channels Television. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also signed the document.
The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.
The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Assembly Forum (ASAF) has adopted a wait-and-see approach on the status of 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While welcoming their decision to join the APC, the Forum declined immediate recognition, citing ongoing legal challenges and the need for a transparent process.
The decision came after an emergency meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, where ASAF members deliberated on the volatile political situation in Rivers.
Speaking to reporters, Director-General Ambassador Fubara Dagogo acknowledged the defectors’ move but said that ASAF wouldn’t rush into a hasty decision.
However, Dagogo extended an olive branch, assuring that ASAF is open to accepting them, along with defectors from other states, but it must be done under a credible and transparent situation.
Dagogo commended President Tinubu’s recent efforts to restore peace in the state but stressed that ASAF would carefully consider the defectors’ case. He announced a follow-up meeting on February 18, 2024, ahead of a planned retreat in Switzerland, where the issue will be further discussed.
The Forum also expressed confidence in APC National Chairman Abdullah Umar Ganduje, adding that his style of leadership was responsible for boosting the party’s popularity and attracting new members to it.
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