Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Friday took over some quarters of the Rivers State House of Assembly amid the unrest between the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
It was gathered that the police took over all the entrances to the House of Assembly quarters located along the Aba Road, Port Harcourt, the state capital.
According to a source, It was found that both the first and second gates to the lawmakers’ estate were safeguarded by about 30 armed policemen, while about 25 patrol vans were used to block the two entrances.
The development came shortly after the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, accused Fubara of planning to demolish the legislative quarters following his unannounced visit to the facility on Thursday afternoon.
It was gathered that one of the entrances is adjacent to the Mobile Police Force 19 Division, while the other is beside the Port Harcourt office of the National Identification Management Agency.
Fubara, however, had explained that his visit to the estate was harmless and was to access the building following the emergence of a new Speaker.
“Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there?
“You are aware of the developments. We have a new Speaker, and I went there to see for myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people,” the governor said.
In a press statement dated May 10, 2024 issued by Felix Morka, the party’s national publicity secretary had said the governor’s argument that the 27 state lawmakers who defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC had lost the seats did not conform with constitutional provision.