Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has made four new appointments, while the State House Assembly votes to override him and put four new measures into law.
On Friday, the governor named Goodlife Ben as Acting Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Tonte Davies as Acting Administrator of the New Cities Development Authority (NCDA), and Ine Briggs as Acting Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement.
According to Tammy Danagogo, Secretary to the State Government, the governor’s selections take effect immediately.
On Friday, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, decided to overrule Governor Siminalayi Fubara and enact four new measures.
The bills are the Rivers Local Government Amendment Law, the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law, the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-Owned Property Prohibition Repeal Act, and the Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.
The House decided on Friday during plenary after Amaewhule read four letters written to him by the governor, in which he denied to sign four new measures.
According to the House, its decision is based on Section 100, subsection 5 of the constitution, which states that the governor’s consent is not required for bills to become law.
The House indicated that if the governor withholds assent and the bill is voted again by a two-thirds majority of the House, the bill will become law and the governor’s assent is not required.
Amaewhule also accused the governor of having no plans to hold local government elections in the state.
This comes 24 hours after the Supreme Court validated Governor Fubara’s election.
The assembly, led by Amaewhule, has 27 members who support the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Four members of the State Assembly, previously led by Edison Ehie, who has resigned as Speaker and represents Ahoada East Constituency 2, are loyal to the governor.
President Bola Tinubu had engaged into the state’s political issue, which is centered on the feud between Fubara and Wike.
The President’s intervention prompted the involved parties in the crisis to agree an eight-point settlement (peace accord) to terminate the conflict.