ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Rivers State House of Assembly Complex is being demolished on Wednesday, 13 December, 2023 amidst the ongoing political crisis.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara presented the N800bn 2024 budget estimates to the Edison Ehie-led group at the Government House simultaneously with the demolition.
The Ehie group, recognized by the court as the Speaker of the House, received the budget presentation in a hall at the Government House due to purported “renovation” work at the state assembly complex, which commenced on Wednesday morning.
The demolition, carried out by the state government, saw bulldozers arriving at the complex around 6 am, two months after a fire had gutted the building.
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This development follows the defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The political turmoil in the 32-member Assembly stems from a rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
Previous attempts at impeachment and counter-impeachment further fueled the crisis, with a court restraining one faction from forcefully entering the assembly complex.
Meanwhile, the elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, cautioning against former Governors of the state that are exerting control over their successors, warning that it could lead to chaos in the country.