Palpable tension grips Rivers State as the two factions of the State House of Assembly prepare for parallel sittings today.
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The Victor Oko-Jumbo-led House, loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has invited a new commissioner-nominee, Emmanuel Frank-Fubara, for screening and confirmation.
Meanwhile, the Martin Amaewhule-led House, loyal to Minister Nyesom Wike, will also hold plenary, its first sitting since the Court of Appeal judgement recognised them as members of the House.
The pro-Fubara lawmakers will sit in an improvised chamber at the Government House, while the pro-Wike legislators will meet at the State Assembly quarters along Aba Road. Both factions will convene at 10 am today.
The Amaewhule-led lawmakers may discuss the issue of the 23 local government councils, which have been barricaded by police for over two weeks. The councils have been embroiled in a crisis since the tenure of the then Local Government Chairmen.
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Recall that the State House of Assembly Complex was bombed in October 2023, following an attempt by 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike to impeach Fubara. The pro-Wike lawmakers later defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, deepening the political crisis in the state.
The status of the 27 lawmakers is currently a subject of litigation, with the Court expected to determine their fate.
