Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
Rivers State, Nigeria
As Governor Siminalayi Fubara presented the N800bn 2024 budget estimates to Edison Ehie-led group at the Government House the same moment the demolition was carried out.
The Ehie group was recognised by the court as the Speaker of the House.
The presentation of the budget was held at a hall in the Government House, apparently, due to the “renovation” work at the state assembly complex which started Wednesday morning.
The demolition of the complex was carried out by the state government.
Bulldozers arrived at the Complex around 6am on Wednesday and commenced the demolition exercise about two months after fire gutted the complex.
Twenty-seven members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 27 members were said to be loyal to Martins Amaewhule, who is an ally of Nyesom Wike, a former governor of the state till May 29, 2023.
The crisis in the 32-member Assembly had begun as a result of a rift between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
In October, the Assembly under Amaewhule served an impeachment notice on Fubara and removed Ehie as the House leader. However, some members of the Assembly loyal to Fubara immediately impeached Amaewhule and made Ehie the new Speaker.
A Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt subsequently restrained the Amaewhule-led group from forcefully gaining access into the assembly complex, pending the hearing of the suit before it.
Meanwhile, elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has again urged President Bola Tinubu to call Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to order over the political situation in Rivers State.
Clark said if all former governors insist on controlling their successors, there will be chaos in the country.
Details Shortly…