Crisis brewing as PDP usurps APC powers in Rivers Assembly, anoint minority leader

APC members, in the Rivrs State who are in the minority in the Assembly, had it tough electing their leader because of litigations involving many of them over the March 19, 2015 legislative election.

But soon after the December 10 rerun election, 10 members of the APC that returned to the legislative chambers concluded arrangement to elect the party’s minority leader.

However, PDP members in the Assembly somehow usurped the powers of the minority and dictated the direction of the election.

Therefore, there was a mild drama on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday, as a member of the APC representing Akuku-Toru Constituency II, Hon Benibo Frederick Anabraba, was voted as minority leader against the wish of the party’s caucus in the Assembly.

Initially, the APC member representing Phalga I, Victoria Nyeche, had nominated the lawmaker representing Eleme Constituency, Josiah Olu for the position.

But trouble started when Sam Ogeh, a PDP member representing Emohua Constituency rose and nominated Frederick Anabraba.

And like a movie, the nomination was seconded by Edison Ehie, another PDP Lawmaker from Ahoada East II constituency.

Efforts by Nyeche to stop the move using Order 10 Rule 1 of the House Rules did not yield any result, as the Majority Leader of the House, Martins Amaewhule, cited the same order as well as Order 5 Rule 1 and Order 6 Rule 1, which says, “At all times, the speaker shall interpret the Standing Order of the House.”

He also argued that “Order 10 Rule 1 did not specify who to nominate, rather, it only states that the minority and deputy minority leaders must come from the opposition party.”

Another effort by a legislator, Olu, an APC member representing Eleme Constituency to raise objection did not scale through as the speaker, IkuinyiOwaji Ibani, said Order 10 Rule 1 is not ambiguous.

When a vote was put through, Anabraba, with active support of PDP members polled 15 votes against Olu, who polled 8 votes.

In view of what transpired, there was a protest march when calls by the speaker for the nomination of deputy minority leader did not get any response, as most APC members present at the sitting walked out from the Assembly chambers.

Earlier, Speaker Ibani, who congratulated Anabraba on his emergence, reiterated that he will continue to be fair to all and uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as earlier promised.

He stated that the Order was promulgated in 1999 under the speakership of the former governor of the state, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, saying it was not amended since then.

Speaking with the Assembly press corps shortly after adjournment, Anabraba said in exercising his functions stipulated in Sections 4, and 128 of the 1999 Constitution, he will perform his duties in the interest of Rivers State.

He said being a minority is not a fortress for punishment but a tool to operate with other lawmakers to make good laws for the state.

He thanked his fellow contestant, Olu and those who voted for him, for the confidence they had on him.

Victoria Nyeche, an APC member representing Port Harcourt constituency 1, told reporters that PDP had imposed a minority leader in the House against their wish.

She said it was the decision of the APC caucus in the House to nominate Josiah Olu for the position, saying that what transpired on the floor of the House was unconstitutional.

On his part, Josiah Olu berated PDP members in the House for interfering in what he called “internal affairs of the APC.”

According to him, “What happened in the House was a breach of constitutional matter. I have never seen where a majority party nominated the leader of a minority party in a House. It is very clear that PDP want to start another round of crisis in the Assembly,” he said.

Event watchers have expressed fear that if not resolved, the matter can lead to a repeat of what happened in the Assembly in 2014, when few members of the Assembly wanted to impeach the then speaker, Dan Otelemagba Amachree.

During the move, there was a free for all fight in the House, a development that led to the shutting down of the House by the Police.