How Speaker Loyal To Fubara Escaped Plot Against Him By Wike, His Strong Men

Fresh details have emerged regarding how the factional Speaker loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, escaped the plot against him by former Governor Nyesom Wike and his strong allies.

Ehie, a loyalist of Governor Fubara, resigned from his position and membership of the House, a move that was communicated through a letter dated December 29, 2023, and addressed to Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

That resignation was a masterstroke that helped him to evade the plan against him by Wike and his men who donated the Rivers State House of Assembly and retained control following the peace pact initiated by President Bola Tinubu.

Before the political crisis in Rivers State, where disagreements between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, led to turmoil, Ehie held the position of the majority leader in the House. Amid the crisis, he emerged as the factional speaker, leading four members in his camp and declaring the seats of 27 pro-Wike house members vacant.

However, following the peace pact signed in Abuja, thanks to the intervention of President Tinubu, Ehie not only resigned as the Rivers Assembly Speaker but also stepped down as a lawmaker.

According to an anonymous source quoted by Daily Trust, Ehie’s decision to resign was influenced by factors beyond the peace resolution in Abuja. The source revealed that pressure from Wike’s camp, which intended to humiliate him upon his return to the assembly, played a significant role in his resignation.

Furthermore, the source disclosed that Ehie’s resignation was a strategic move to facilitate the implementation of the peace pact between Wike and Fubara. With the recognition of the 27 members of the assembly loyal to Wike as one of the eight resolutions in the peace pact, resigning became the only viable option for Ehie.

There are indications that Ehie is being considered to replace Chidi Amadi, a Wike loyalist, as the Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara. The source mentioned, “If Martins Amaehwule is recognized by Fubara, the best option left for Ehie is to resign if not he will have a very unfriendly House.”

The rumored appointment of Ehie as the Chief of Staff may potentially spark another phase of the ongoing power struggle between Wike and Fubara, especially considering the present Chief of Staff’s association with Wike.