27 Rivers assembly lawmakers withdraw impeachment notice against Fubara

The 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday commenced sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule convened at the House of Assembly quarters.

The notice of withdrawal was contained in a letter signed by the 27 – although one of them was hospitalised and wasn’t in attendance – of them and read out by their Speaker, Martins Amaewhule.

Amaewhule said this was in line with the conflict resolution intervention instituted by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The oil-rich state has been embroiled in a crisis following a rift between Wike and his predecessor, Fubara.

As part of measures to resolve the rift, President Bola Tinubu met with the warring parties in consultation with the Former governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili.

The rift between Wike and Fubara split lawmakers in the House with 27 of them decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party in whose central government Wike currently serves as minister.

The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.

The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.

However, after Monday’s meeting, the warring parties agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, be withdrawn immediately.

Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule and others involved in the crisis signed the agreement made available to Channels Television. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also signed the document.

The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.

The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.

It remains to be seen whether the governor will keep to his own side of the peace agreement.