Tension in Rivers as Gov Fubara's Loyalist Emerges Parallel Speaker

For the umpteenth time, the simmering political crisis in Rivers state, reared it's ugly head on Wednesday with the emergence of a parallel Speaker in the state House of Assembly, loyal to the state governor, Siminalari Fubara.

Following the development, palpable tension rose in the state capital, Port Harcourt, with either side making claims and counter claims.

Less than 24 hour earlier, leadership of the state's opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, called for the impeachment of the embattled governor, a move that appears to enjoy of the states council chairmen. 

The new speaker, Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, representing Bonny council area of the state in the assembly, alongside two other core loyalists of the governor, is the second to be so declared following the resignation of former speaker, Rt Hon Edion Ehie, who is now the governor's Chief of Staff.

The parallel speaker's emergence is coming on the heels of the declaration by the governor, barely 48 hours ago, that that the majority 27 All Progressives Congress, APC, members of the house, erstwhile members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are non-existent.

More details soon