Rivers Crisis: APC Vows To Protect Amaewhule-led Lawmakers

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has vowed to do everything within its powers to protect its members in the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the speaker, Hon Martins Amaewhule, against the activities of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The lawmakers had on December 11, 2023 dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC citing leadership crisis at the national level of the party.

Thereafter, the Hon. Edison Ehie-led faction of the House, which is loyal to Fubara, declared the seats of the 25 members who defected to the APC vacant and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-election in their respective state constituencies.

Ehie, who represented Ahoada-East 2 Constituency in the House, resigned both his membership of the House and factional Speakership position on December 31, 2023 and was later appointed Chief of Staff to the governor.

However, another factional speaker of the House, Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo, emerged on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 and thereafter obtained an interim injunction from a Rivers State High Court, restraining Amaewhule and 24 others from parading themselves as members of the House of Assembly.

But, addressing newsmen after the unscheduled visit of stakeholders to the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters yesterday, the APC caretaker committee chairman in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, said the visit to the quarters was unplanned.

Okocha said: “You can see how Rivers Leaders thronged out in their numbers, unbargained, unplanned, to visit the Assembly quarters. It goes to show the world that Rivers State is one that is united.

“The Speaker has taken his stand to continue to carry out his legitimate functions and has given us a synopsis of what transpired when Governor Sim Fubara, in his Gestapo and commando style, with thugs, harassed the Assembly members.

“Leaders have spoken as leaders of the state. I want to narrow it down to the party (APC) 27 of the members of the State Assembly are our property, and we owe them a responsibility to do everything to protect them.

“At every twist and turn, Governor Fubara, who is the chief lawbreaker of the state, will come out publicly claiming to be supporting Mr. President, in a bid to continue to curry political patronage and capital. It is not true; it is a fluke!”

He frowned at the attempt by the governor to emasculate the legislature by proclaiming what he calls an executive order to bring the Assembly to the Government House, thereby fusing the legislative and the executive arm into one.