New details have emerged surrounding the resignation of Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie from his position as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Recognized by a Rivers State High Court order, Ehie had been aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In a statement released in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening, the lawmaker representing Ahoada-East Constituency 2 announced not only his resignation as Speaker but also his decision to vacate his seat in the House. Notably, this resignation did not form part of the resolutions made during a peace parley on the Rivers State political crisis, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja in December 2023.
Sources have indicated that Ehie’s resignation might be a strategic move to create a legislative vacuum, potentially accommodating resolutions from the Abuja peace pact. There are also speculations that the decision aims to open up a pathway for Ehie’s appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, despite the incumbent Chief of Staff, Hon. Chidi Amadi, not having resigned.
Another reason cited for Ehie’s resignation is to facilitate the intervention of the National Assembly in the Rivers State House of Assembly. This move is prompted by the House having only five members after the declaration of the seats of 25 members as vacant following their defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).