No fewer than four suspended lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly have elected Honorable Edison Ehie as the speaker of the House.
Honorable Ehie was earlier removed as the leader of the House in the aftermath of the fire that engulfed the House of Assembly complex on Sunday night.
The suspended lawmakers and Honorable Ehie reportedly met at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt where he emerged as their speaker.
Governor Siminalayi congratulated Honorable Ehie after that by posting “Congratulations Mr. Speaker” on X on Monday afternoon.
Congratulations Mr. Speaker. https://t.co/9q3mIFbom2
— Siminalayi Fubara (@SimFubaraKSC) October 30, 2023
The parallel House voted to suspend the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi.
The Rivers State House of Assembly is now split into two factions: the one suspected of carrying out FCT minister, Nyesom Wike’s wish, and the one loyal to Governor Fubara.
The governor is believed to be in a battle of political supremacy with his predecessor, Wike.
The FCT minister was instrumental to Fubara’s emergence, but they are believed to have fallen out over undisclosed reasons.
Twenty-four members of the 32-person Rivers State House of Assembly started impeachment proceedings against the governor on Monday and suspended the four members who aligned to elect Honorable Ehie as their speaker.
Two-thirds of elected members of a legislative house are constitutionally empowered to elect a speaker in Nigeria.
