Suspended Members Of The Rivers Lawmakers Spotted In UK

Suspended Rivers lawmakers spotted in UK for legislative training.
Social media users accuse them of vacationing during suspension.
Tinubu earlier suspended Rivers leadership, declared state of emergency

Group photographs of the suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have surfaced online, showing them in the United Kingdom.

The emergence of the pictures on Sunday, April 6, triggered widespread reactions on social media, with many speculating that the lawmakers, led by Martin Chike Amaewhule, were enjoying a vacation while on suspension.

However, it was earlier reported that the lawmakers are attending a five-day legislative training program in the UK. The training, which began on Friday, is designed to enhance their understanding of governance and lawmaking processes, particularly focusing on the “Legislative Dynamics in Presidential and Parliamentary Systems.”

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the sessions, which kicked off in Central London, involve intensive discussions and workshops aimed at sharpening the legislative skills of the participants. The program seeks to equip the lawmakers with deeper insights into the complexities of legislative functions, preparing them to serve the people of Rivers State more effectively upon their return.

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu, during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, suspended Siminalayi Fubara as Governor of Rivers State following an intense political crisis in the state.

In his 7 p.m. address to Nigerians, Tinubu also suspended the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu, along with all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who had been at loggerheads with the Governor.

Announcing the declaration, President Tinubu said: “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do.

“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.”

Despite their suspension, the lawmakers have now been seen in new group photographs taken abroad, confirming their participation in the ongoing training program.