Amid Crisis, Rivers House Of Assembly Elects New Speaker

By Charles Igbo

For the third time, the Rivers State House of Assembly has elected a new Speaker.

The new Speaker, Honourable Victor Oko-Jumbo, an ally of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was elected on Wednesday,  allegedly, by a three-man Assembly, amidst the messy political crisis which has engulfed the State.

Elected on Wednesday, Jumbo represents Bonny State Constituency in the House of Assembly.

His election is a new twist to the political crisis in the State, which ante was raised on Tuesday following an order by the Acting State Chairman of  the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Okocha, to 23 members of the Assembly loyal to the immediate past Governor of  the State, now the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to start impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.

Okocha, whose position in the APC is a subject of litigation gave the order to the Assembly members whose membership of the Assembly is, also, a subject of litigation, because, according to him, Fubara is not keeping to the controversial peace deal between the Fubara and Wike, brokered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In response to Fubara’s order, Assembly Members loyal to Governor Fubara, elected Jumbo as the new Speaker, and said he replaces Hon. Edison Ehie, the second Speaker, elected at the beginning of the crisis when the Assembly first wanted to impeach the Governor, and completely ignored the existence of the first Speaker, still presiding,  Honourable Martin Amaewhule.

Amaewhule was reinstated as the Speaker after President Tinubu’s intervention.

The reinstatement caused Ehie’s resignation from the Office and membership of the Assembly. He was subsequently appointed the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

The order by Okocha for Fubara’s impeachment by the 23 members loyal to Wike who, instructively, said they have dumped the PDP and decamped to the APC, has triggered reactions like claps of thunder.

From Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, Rivers State Elders Forum, Rivers Youth Organizations, the warning is: there will be chaos in the State if an impeachment process is started against Fubara.

In its own reaction, the Rivers State Government has dared the Assembly members to, and warned it will be resisted.

The National Leadership of the PDP has, also, warned against any such move, while a group of 60 PDP  members of the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has urged: “It’s time to use Magistrate Court to declare/arrest the (Rivers) group of 27 parading as Lawmakers wanted for impersonation.”