.The rift between the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has intensified, signalling an intense power tussle in the oil-rich state.
27 lawmakers allegedly loyal to Wike joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), and within 24 hours, Fubara took a decision to demolish the state assembly complex.
The crisis has also seen some Commissioners said to be loyal to the former governor tender their resignation from the cabinet of Fubara.
The tension in Rivers State has led to suggestions of possible intervention by the National Assembly to restore order by taking over the role of the state lawmakers until the return of normalcy in line with the provision of Section 11 (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Subsection (4) provides, “At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions because of the situation prevailing in that state, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that state concerning matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear.”
Subsection (5) reads, “For the purposes of subsection (4) of this section, a House of Assembly shall not be deemed to be unable to perform its functions as long as the House of Assembly can hold a meeting and transact business.”
The deputy spokesman of the House of Representatives, Phillip Agbese, in an interview with Punch, on the ongoing political turbulence in Rivers State said the issue had yet to be tabled before the Green Chamber, noting that until that was done, there could be little or no intervention in the interim.
Agbese stated, “It is true that there is a constitutional backing for the National Assembly to intervene where there are established instances of crisis in a state House of Assembly that is unable to perform its functions.
“The 10th House has not been notified of any crisis. If it is not formally aware, there is nothing much we can do by way of intervention in the crisis, but it is our wish that the matter will be resolved amicably so that Rivers lawmakers can go about the business they were elected to do by their people. This is all I can say for now.”