Evans Bipi, a former member of the Rivers House of Assembly who garnered attention in 2013 for referring to Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, as his “Jesus Christ,” is set to join the Rivers State Executive Council as a commissioner.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria, the Rivers House of Assembly confirmed Mr. Bipi alongside three other nominees from Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday. The additional nominees are Israel Ngbuelu, Otamiri Ngubo, and Benebo Anabraba.
During a plenary session, Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo announced that the governor had submitted a letter with the nominees’ names for screening and confirmation.
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House Leader Sokari Good-boy noted that three of the nominees were former lawmakers who had “served diligently” during their tenures and urged his colleagues to allow them to take a bow and go.
The House proceeded to screen the fourth nominee before confirming all four. The Speaker later announced their confirmation, advising them to leverage their experience for the state’s development.
Mr. Bipi was known for his contentious political style during his tenure as a lawmaker under Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
In 2013, his loyalty to then-President Goodluck Jonathan led him to join four other lawmakers in opposing Amaechi and the assembly’s leadership. At one point, he controversially claimed a bid for the speakership.
On July 9, 2013, Mr. Bipi allegedly stormed the assembly chambers with thugs in an attempt to impeach the speaker, resulting in violence and chaos that sparked outrage across the country.
A video captured him punching an unidentified individual on the assembly floor. When asked about the incident, he claimed the footage was a fabrication by Governor Amaechi.
Amaechi’s rise to the chairmanship of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum in 2011, contrary to the wishes of the presidency and the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party, fueled tensions with Mr. Jonathan and his wife.
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Award-winning playwright Wole Soyinka criticized Mr. Bipi and the other lawmakers, stating that the Jonathans should be held accountable for the political turmoil in Rivers State. He advised Patience Jonathan to learn how to be a lady before taking on the role of First Lady.
At the time, Mr. Bipi explained that his actions were motivated by a desire to defend Mrs. Jonathan, who he described as his “Jesus Christ on earth.” He expressed his frustration over perceived insults directed at her, stating, “Why must he be insulting my mother, my Jesus Christ on earth?” This incident was captured in the aforementioned video.
It remains uncertain whether Mr. Bipi still maintains this sentiment about Mrs. Jonathan 11 years later. Additionally, his role in the ongoing political rivalry between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the current FCT Minister, is yet to be defined, although he has recently been critical of Mr. Wike.
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