An official from the House of Representatives explained that they are unable to intervene in the political turmoil in Rivers State as the matter has not been formally presented to the National Assembly.
Phillip Agbese, the deputy spokesman of the House of Representatives, revealed this in an interview with NewsNow. The political crisis in Rivers State involves Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is his predecessor.
The conflict has created division within the state House of Assembly, with members loyal to Wike attempting to impeach Fubara. The situation escalated when an explosion occurred at the Assembly complex on October 29, leading Wike to accuse the governor of involvement.
Wike stated that Fubara should have approached him directly instead of orchestrating the destruction of the Assembly chambers. Meanwhile, Fubara declared his allegiance to the former governor and emphasized his commitment to serving and advancing the state’s interests.
On December 8, Fubara stated that no amount of sabotage would deter him from fulfilling his mandate to serve and protect the state. Furthermore, the state House of Assembly was demolished by the State Government on Wednesday, citing the damage caused by the fire as the reason behind their action.
The ongoing crisis has resulted in the resignation of several commissioners, and 27 lawmakers who support Wike have switched their allegiance from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Although the National Assembly has the constitutional power to intervene in a state House of Assembly crisis, Agbese emphasized that they have not been formally informed about the situation in Rivers State. As a result, their inability to act is due to the lack of official notification.
Agbese acknowledged the constitutional provision for intervention in such cases but reiterated that without formal awareness, their hands are tied. He expressed the hope for a peaceful resolution to allow the elected representatives in Rivers State to resume their legislative duties. This represents the current stance of the National Assembly on the matter,” Agbese stated in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH.