On Monday, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), hosted the suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for a dinner in the United Kingdom. This came shortly after Wike’s meeting with his political allies in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, on Sunday.
The dinner was revealed by Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, in a post on Facebook, where he explained that the FCT Minister had met with the lawmakers who are currently in the UK for a legislative capacity-building programme. Olayinka shared, “Yesterday, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, hosted Rivers State House of Assembly members who are in the UK for Legislative Capacity Building, to a dinner. Wike left Nigeria on Sunday night after visiting his political friends and associates in Port Harcourt.”
The suspended lawmakers had been involved in a political crisis sparked by a state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State, following security concerns. This decision led to the suspension of both the lawmakers and Governor Sim Fubara, causing further political unrest.
The situation saw a dramatic turn when the Supreme Court intervened, ordering the reinstatement of the lawmakers and instructing Governor Fubara to present the 2024 budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly. However, Fubara’s attempt to present the budget was blocked by the lawmakers, who denied him access to the Assembly complex.
The suspended lawmakers are currently in the UK as part of a programme aimed at enhancing their legislative skills, despite the ongoing political turbulence in Rivers State.
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