The face-off between Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the Presidency came to the fore on the floor of the House of Representatives chamber on Thursday, as supporters of both camps countered each other.
Amaechi’s loyalist, however emerged the stronger group.
Trouble began when Sokonte Davies, a member from Rivers State and a known loyalist of Amaechi, tabled a motion under Matter of Urgent National Importance.
He drew the attention of the House to the siege laid to the Rivers State House of Assembly as well as the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council Secretariat by men of the Nigeria Police following the suspension of elected officials of the local government.
The House of Assembly had on April 22, announced the suspension of the Council chairman, his Deputy and all the 17 Councillors.
It then constituted a caretaker committee 24 hours later to take over the running of the council.
In response, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, in the state responded by suspending 27 of its members in the House of Assembly.
Davies argued that it was illegal to deploy police to the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and the Council Secretariat, saying it was done without request from the state Governor as required by the Constitution.
According to him, Section 215 (4) of the Constitution states that the Governor can only ask for extra deployment of police in his state for maintenance of peace when need be, but that the Rivers State Governor in this case, did not make such request.
In his prayers, he requested the House to mandate its House Committee on Police Affairs, Justice and Human Rights to conduct a thorough investigation into the siege laid on the government institutions as well as urge the Inspector-General of police to ask his men and officers to withdraw from the premises of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and other places so occupied.
When the motion was put to general debate, Kingsley Chinda, a loyalist of President Goodluck Jonathan was the only one who opposed the motion.
His plea that Davies motion be killed was ignored as members passed it as moved.
Immediately after the Speaker ruled on the motion, Chinda then raised a Point of Order and used it to introduce a motion Under Matter of Urgent National Importance, just like Davies had done.
However, as he read out his motion, it was clearly a motion designed to get the House to rescind itself on the motion moved by Davies.
In his motion, he drew the attention of the House to the “undemocratic suspension” of the democratically elected officials of Obio/Akpor LGA which, he said, was masterminded by the state Governor, Amaechi.
He then urged the House to condemn the suspension.
He also urged the House to ask the IG to deploy security men to the area to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
Chinda also prayed the House to urge all State Houses of Assembly to re-visit all state laws that provide for appointment of an administrator or caretaker committee to replace democratically elected members of local councils.
However, he was almost shouted down, as members started shouting point of order to draw the attention of the Speaker.
Nnana Igbokwe (PDP Imo), told the House that Chinda’s motion was illegal, as it negates what the House had just approved.
His position was supported by submissions of Ibrahim El-sudi and Femi Gbajabiamila who faulted Chinda’s argument, as both quoted conspicuously from the Constitution to back up their points.
But Chinda was refused to withdraw the motion until Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, personally stepped the motion down and asked the House Committee on Rules and Business as well as that of Justice to meet and advice the House properly on the desirability or not of the earlier motion raised.
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