Video: Rivers leaders and stakeholders stage a solidarity visit to the Martins Amaehwule lead Rivers State House of Assembly

The solidarity visit to the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, was a significant event that saw a convergence of national and former Rivers Assembly members, Local Government Area (LGA) Chairmen, and Elders. This gathering took place amidst the backdrop of a political crisis that has been brewing in the state, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara making a surprise visit to the Assembly’s residential quarters and a factional Speaker emerging in the Assembly.

Governor Fubara’s visit to the Assembly quarters was described as a move to assess the condition of the structures for potential rehabilitation, aiming to restore their livability. This visit, however, was met with criticism from some lawmakers who saw it as a threat to law and order due to the ongoing political crisis.

The political tension in Rivers State escalated further with the emergence of a factional Speaker, Victor Oko Jumbo, during a plenary session by lawmakers loyal to Governor Fubara. This development is part of the larger political struggle in the state, with 27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporting former Governor Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In a show of solidarity with the Amaewhule-led Assembly, the Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, visited the Assembly members, assuring them of the party’s unwavering support. This move came in response to Governor Fubara’s visit to the Assembly quarters, which was seen as an act of intimidation.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt issued an order restraining Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 25 others from parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This legal action adds another layer to the ongoing political crisis in the