The Rivers State Assembly Complex is currently being demolished amidst plot by lawmakers loyalists to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The demolition that began on Wednesday morning is coming a few days after 27 members of the Rivers Assembly elected through the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The lawmakers, who are Wike’s loyalists dumped the PDP for the APC on Monday citing the division in the umbrella party as the reason for their actions.
Following the development, some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) had joined Governor Fubara in a solidarity support.
The APC and SDP members cited the alleged “undemocratic move” to impeach Governor Fubara as their reason for joining the PDP in the state.
Images from the scene showed heavy machinery on site tearing down the building.
The budget presentation usually takes place inside the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly will now take place at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
On Wednesday, Hon. Barr. Ehie Edison, the factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and a close ally of Fubara reportedly presided over a plenary session of the 10th Assembly.
The session follows a recent court order that declared Ehie the legitimate Speaker and barred his rival, Martins Amaewhul, who is believed to be a loyalist of Wike, from claiming leadership.
The Rivers State Government says the decision to demolish and rebuild the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex was due to the structural defects which arose mainly as a result of the recent explosion and fire incident which rendered the main building unfit for human use.
A statement issued by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information Mr Joseph Johnson said after the visit of the Governor to inspect the level of damage done to the building on the day of the fire incident, it became necessary to invite professionals to advice the government on the integrity of the building.
It would be recalled that on the night of the attack on the complex explosive dynamites were used to attack the complex which shook it to foundation. There were visible cracks on the walls afterwards, and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business
“After the assessment of the integrity of the complex, the experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous”, he said, noting that the government had tried all cost saving measures towards repair of the complex until it bowed to superior view of rebuilding the complex to a more befitting edifice.
In the interim, the Rivers State Government has provided an alternative venue for the House of Assembly to conduct their affairs pending the rebuilding of the complex.
DAILY GIST reports that the immediate former governor of Rivers and Fubara, his successor, have been at loggerheads over the control of the political structure in the state.
The crisis between the two politicians heightened last month, culminating in an attempted impeachment of Fubara.
Despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the face-off between Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, Mr Nyesom Wike, there are speculations that the political crisis is far from being resolved.
The forces loyal to Wike were reportedly unrelenting in their plan to remove the governor, who, incidentally, was a close ally of his predecessor, now the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Abuja.
The camp of the minister had reportedly restrategised and was mobilising necessary means to carry out the impeachment of the governor.
