By Olusegun Olanrewaju, with agency report
The fruit of Monday’s presidentially-brokered peace move in Abuja to resolve the billowing political crisis in Rivers State appears to be bearing fruit.
This follows the Rivers House of Assembly’s withdrawal of the impeachment notice served on Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Yesterday, the 27 embattled members of the State House of Assembly commenced sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Speaker of the House, Mr Martin Amaewhule, said this during plenary held at the auditorium of the Assembly’s residential quarters in Port Harcourt.
Amaewhule, who read the withdrawal notice, said that the action was sequel to the intervention of the President.
“Following the agreement reached on December 18 at the instance of President Bola Tinubu, the House has withdrawn the notice of impeachment it earlier served on the governor.
“The house would also abide by the agreements and advice of the President, this is a mark of immense respect by members,” he said.
The notice of withdrawal was contained in a letter signed by the 27 – although one of them was hospitalised and wasn’t in attendance.
The oil-rich state has been embroiled in a crisis following a rift between former state governor, Nyesom Wike and his successor, Sim Fubara.
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As part of measures to resolve the rift, President Tinubu met with the warring parties, in consultation with another ex-governor of the state, Peter Odili.
A truce was eventually brokered at the Aso Villa, Abuja.
The rift between Wike and Fubara reverberated among the lawmakers in the House, with 27 of them decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
*Governor yet to withdraw case against 27 legislators in compliance with Aso-Rock truce talk
Meanwhile, Counsel to Governor Fubara, Mr Damian Okoro (SAN), is yet to withdraw a suit filed to restrain the Rivers State House of Assembly from impeaching his client.
At the Isiokpo Division of the Rivers State High Court, under the auspices of Justice Ben Whyte, when the case with suit number IHC/230/2023 between Fubara vs the Assembly was called yesterday, counsel for the Assembly, Ferdinand Orbih, said, “Arising from the resolution of the matter and as can be confirmed from media publications, I expect that the claimant ought to withdraw this case in line with the resolution.”
In his response, Okoro said his client was yet to instruct him to withdraw the matter stating that “all that is in the media space, I am yet to be briefed by my client to withdraw the case and as such can’t do that”.
After listening to the two lawyers, the presiding judge, Justice Ben Whyte adjourned the hearing to January 31, 2024, for Okoro to consult with his client and a report of settlement if any.
