The five-member faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly headed by Edison Ehie and loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Wednesday passed the 2024 budget proposal submitted by the governor.
The State Executive Council approved the estimated N800 billion budget on Monday, which the governor referred to as the “Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation, and Continuity” for the 2024 fiscal year.
The faction had moved the house plenary session to the Government House, Port Harcourt.
This comes amid the ongoing demolition of the assembly complex by Governor Fubara’s administration.
It was learnt that the 27 members of the House loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and immediate governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, were absent during the plenary.
The House declared the seats of 27 lawmakers vacant.
On Monday, 27 members of the House of Assembly said to be loyal to Wike defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers announced their defection at the plenary, citing division in their party – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – as the reason for the move.
Governor Fubara presented the state’s 2024 budget proposal to the five lawmakers present at plenary on Wednesday for their consideration.
The other group of lawmakers who supported Wike and were under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule attempted to impeach Governor Fubara, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The crisis recently led to the burning of the State Assembly complex and factionalised the lawmakers into camps.
SaharaReporters reported on Tuesday that the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justice D.M. Danagogo, had restrained Martin Amaewhule, loyal to Wike, from interfering and disrupting the activities of Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, Ehie, from carrying out his legislative functions.
The Rivers State House of Assembly and Edison Ehie filed a Motion Exparte in a lawsuit with the case number PHC/3030/CS/2023, which named Martin Amaewhule and Duule Maol as defendants. The court made its decision on Tuesday.
The court further stated that the order came after reading the affidavit of Ehie and after hearing D. I. Iboroma, (SAN) who appeared with A. B. Ihua-Maduenyi Esq., T. C. Kinabere Esq., and P. I. Johnson Esq. as counsel for the Rivers State House of Assembly and Ehie (Claimants/Applicants).
