Rivers Assembly crisis: Faction defies court order, holds sitting

The Martins Amaewhule faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly has defied an existing court order restraining the two factions of the Assembly from sitting pending the outcome of the case instituted by factional Speaker Edison Ehie.

Members of the faction led by Amaewhule, in their sitting on Wednesday, elected the former Chief Whip of the House, Major Jack, as the Leader of the 10th Legislative Assembly and Hon. Franklin Nwabochi as the Chief Whip.

The election of the principal officers followed the suspension of Ehie, the former leader.

Moving the motion for nominations, the member representing Akuku-Toru Constituency 2, Lolo Isaiah, nominated the former Chief Whip of the House, Jack, as the leader, while Ofis Christopher, the lawmaker representing Andoni LGA, nominated Nwabochi as the Chief Whip of the 10th Assembly.

Both nominations were not objected to by any of the 26 lawmakers seated for plenary.

During the plenary session, the Rivers State Funds Management Bill 2023 scaled second reading after members debated the bill and stressed the need for financial autonomy of state assemblies.

The Rivers State Local Government Amendment Bill 2023 also scaled first reading during the 83rd plenary of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Lawmakers loyal to Amaewhule, who is also loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), passed a vote of confidence in his leadership style.

The inferno that gutted the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly on October 29 split the state assembly into two.

The faction, led by Amaewhule, is loyal to Wike and attempted to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara on October 30, while the other faction, led by Ehie, is loyal to Fubara.

Rivers Assembly crisis: Faction defies court order, holds sitting