Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani on Friday resigned from his position, immediately after the House passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law.

This is as the member representing Okrika Constituency in the House, Hon. Adams Dabotoru Dima, was elected as the new speaker of the House, which 23 lawmakers voting in favour of him nomination.

Ibani, who represents Andoni Constituency in the House of Assembly, is among about 30 members of the House, whose elections were nullified by the Rivers State Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The former speaker, while announcing his resignation, which he said was based on personal reasons, thanked friends and foes alike for the support he received through out his tenure as Speaker between June 1 this year to date.

He said, “At this juncture, I would want to step down as Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly, reasons personal to me.”

The newly elected speaker, it will be recalled is the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member of the House of Assembly, whose election was not nullified by the State Election Petitions Tribunal.

Credit: Leadership