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A potential crisis is on the horizon in Rivers State as the two State House of Assembly factions are set to hold parallel sessions this morning, Monday, July 8. The uncertainty of the situation adds urgency and importance to this unfolding news.
On Sunday night, the House led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, which supports the State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, issued a letter through the Clerk, Dr. G. M. Gillis-West, inviting commissioner-nominee Emmanuel Frank-Fubara for screening and confirmation on Monday as a member of the State Executive Council.
Meanwhile, the House led by Martin Amaewhule, which supports the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will also hold a plenary session today, as reported by Punch.
The pro-Fubara legislators will convene in an improvised chamber at the Government House in Port Harcourt, while the pro-Wike lawmakers will meet at the State Assembly's official quarters on Aba Road, also within the city.
Though it is unclear what the Amaewhule-led lawmakers will deliberate on, it will be their first sitting since the Court of Appeal judgement recognised the pro-Wike lawmakers as members of the House.
In their discussions, the lawmakers may address the issue of the 23 local government councils in the state, which the police have barricaded for over two weeks. The potential impact of these discussions underscores the gravity of the situation.
Antecedents of Rivers Assembly crisis
Recall that the State House of Assembly Complex, located along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, was bombed in October 2023, following an attempt by 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister to impeach Fubara.
Later, during the plenary, the pro-Wike lawmakers announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress as the political crisis in the state deepened following the feud between Fubara and Wike.
The status of the 27 lawmakers is now a subject of litigation as the Court is expected to determine their faith.