Some fresh facts have emerged about the decision of Edison Ehie to resign as the factional speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
It would be recalled that Ehie, who is a loyalist of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, resigned from his position and membership of the House. Naija News reports that Edison’s resignation was contained in a letter dated December 29, 2023, and signed by him.
The letter was addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu.
Before emerging as Speaker in the political crisis that rocked Rivers State over the disagreement between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, Ehie was the majority leader of the House.
During the crisis, Ehie emerged as the factional speaker of the house and had four members in his camp even as he declared the seats of 27 pro-Wike house members vacant.
However, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, which resulted in the peace pact signed in Abuja, Ehie not only resigned as Rivers Assembly Speaker, but also stepped down as a lawmaker.
It has now been revealed that his decision was based on some other factors which were not immediately obvious at first.
A source quoted by Daily Trust said apart from fulfilling the terms of the peace resolution in Abuja, Ehie was forced to resign due to pressure from Wike’s camp which had plans to humiliate him should he return to the assembly.
The source, who pleaded to remain anonymous, said Ehie’s resignation was also to pave the way for the implementation of the peace pact initiated between Wike and Fubara.
He added that with the recognition of the 27 members of the assembly loyal to Wike as one of the eight resolutions in the peace pact, the only option left for Ehie was to resign.
It is further understood that Ehie has been pencilled down to replace Chidi Amadi, a Wike loyalist, as the Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara.
“If Martins Amaehwule is recognised by Fubara, the best option left for Ehie is to resign if not he will have a very unfriendly House.
“His rumoured appointment as Chief of Staff to the governor will open another phase of crisis between Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory because the present Chief of Staff is Wike’s kinsman and was appointed by the minister. So, removing him and bringing Ehie will open another phase of the war between Wike and Fubara,” the source stated.
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