A meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu to address the political crisis in Rivers State has instructed the immediate cessation of the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
It also mandates the withdrawal of all court cases initiated by the governor, while recognizing the leadership of Hon. Martin Amaewhule and the defected 27 lawmakers.
According to a document emerging from the meeting, it stated, “All matters instituted in the courts by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately.
“All impeachment proceedings initiated against the Governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately. The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognized alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.”
Furthermore, the meeting directed the reinstatement of the names of commissioners who resigned from Governor Fubara’s cabinet.
The document stressed, “The names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval.”
Governor Fubara, along with his deputy, Amaewhule, and the state chairmen of both the PDP and the APC, jointly signed the document.
The meeting, initially described as private, took place at the presidential villa in Abuja, focusing on resolving the crisis that led to the defection of 27 lawmakers and the subsequent declaration of their seats as vacant.
Among the attendees at the meeting were former Governor Dr. Peter Odili, a significant political figure in Rivers State, and the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Wike.
Also present were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Deputy Governor of the state, Ngozi Odu.
It’s worth noting that the court-recognized Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, had declared the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant, prompting a call for fresh elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
