Tension is palpable in Rivers State this morning as two factions of the State House of Assembly prepare for parallel sittings.
On Sunday night, the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led faction, loyal to 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 as a member of the State Executive Council.
Simultaneously, the Martin Amaewhule-led faction, loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, is also scheduled to hold a plenary session today, our correspondent has reliably gathered.
The pro-Fubara lawmakers will convene in an improvised Hallowed Chamber at the Government House in Port Harcourt, while the pro-Wike legislators will meet at the State Assembly's official quarters along Aba Road. Both sessions are set to begin at 10 AM.
Although the agenda for the Amaewhule-led faction's sitting is unclear, this will be their first session since a Court of Appeal judgment recognized the pro-Wike lawmakers as legitimate members of the House.
There is speculation that they may discuss the ongoing police barricades at the 23 local government councils, a situation that has persisted for over two weeks amid the crisis concerning the tenure of the former local government chairmen.
This political turbulence traces back to October 2023 when the State House of Assembly Complex on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, was bombed. This incident followed an attempt by 27 lawmakers, loyal to the FCT Minister, to impeach Governor Fubara.
In the aftermath, the pro-Wike lawmakers announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, deepening the political crisis in the state. The status of these 27 lawmakers is currently under litigation, with a court decision pending to determine their fate.
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