Wike vs Fubara: List of Speakers Rivers State Have In Just 1 Year
The crisis rocking the Rivers state political space has resurfaced following the emergence of a new speaker reportedly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, fell apart soon after the former resumed office as the state’s number one citizen, and the relationship between the political godfather and godson was threatened in just three months of the new administration.
The crisis fast-forwards to a period when Governor Fubara was served an impeachment notice by the state assembly, a development that made the governor receive more sympathy from the people.
Names of speakers who have emerged since Governor Fubara began the fight with Wike
Photo Credit: @GovWike, @SimFubaraKSCSource: Twitter
The majority of the lawmakers were said to have queued behind Wike, the former governor and present minister of the federal capital territory FCT.
However, President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis led to a political solution. The governor admitted to signing a development analysts considered a shot at himself.
But the crisis has resurfaced, and the peace move by the president appeared to have crumbled as the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) called on the state assembly to resume the impeachment proceedings of the governor.
In the next couple of days, Governor Fubara will be celebrating his one year in office. He will likely talk more about the political crisis in the state and make promises to the people without referencing his administration’s major developmental projects.
This political crisis in the state, which has lasted one year, has led to the emergence of three speakers in the state House of Assembly. These speakers included factional, legal, and perceived illegal speakers.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has 32 members. One lawmaker died shortly after the 2023 general elections, leaving 31 members. Of these, 27 are loyal to Wike, while four are loyal to Governor Fubara.
The speakers are listed below:
Martin Amaewhule
He was the Rivers State House of Assembly speaker until October 2023. He was ousted in a crisis that led to the emergence of Ehie Edison as the new speaker.
Amaewhule was said to be a loyalist of the former governor Wike, and he led the plenary when Governor Fubara was served the impeachment notice.
He led the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike to the APC in the heat of the political crisis in the state, a development which led to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) move to impeach them.
He was, however, reinstated as the speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly after President Tinubu’s political solution.
Source: Fox Nigeria
