Rivers: Impeachment Hangs On Fubara As Crisis Worsens

Governor Siminalayi of Rivers state is facing a fresh impeachment plot from some lawmakers in the state house of assembly.

The lawmakers issued a communique in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Saturday stating that they made the decision after the governor abandoned the terms of agreement reached with a former governor of the oil rich state, Nyesom Wike.

27 legislators who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, last year following the clash between Fubura and his predecessor are supporting the former governor.

Wike and his successor are currently in an endless struggle for the soul of the oil bearing state.

The magazine reports that last December, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brokered a truce between the feuding parties following a protracted political crisis that rocked the state late last year.

Recall that Governor Fubura rode on the crest of Wike to power in May last year, but the governor has chosen his own path not long after he came to office, a situation watchers of the state said has angered Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in the All Progressives’ Congress, APC, government.

The two political leaders are members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The angry lawmakers said the bone of contention now borders on the refusal of the governor to present the 2024 budget to the assembly, as agreed with the president when the truce was brokered.

According to them, the governor is also in cahoots with some PDP leaders, who they described as ‘new arrivals’ in the state who advised him to jettisoned the pending agreement.

They are referring to a former National Chairman PDP, Uche Secondus, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, Austin Opara, Senator Lee Maeba, Celestine Omehia, amongst others who have joined forces with the governor in his war against Wike.

Part of the communique issued by the lawmakers: “These new arrivals have just landed like hawks. They now want to grab what they spat on but need to be careful of their ranting and utterances against the institution of the legislature and the FCT Minister as they can derail the existing peace in the state.

“The FCT Minister is doing fabulously well in Abuja and should be commended. Rather than looking for advice for Mr. President who we believe knows them very well, should they not be calling on the Governor to learn to abide by the laws of Rivers State and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

“Should these new self-acclaimed advisers also not be advising the Governor to do the needful so that there can be a smooth transition from the current democratically elected Councils in the State to the next democratically elected Councils and avoid the challenges of attempting the opposite?

“What about advising the Governor to heed to the Peace Agreement he begged for, willingly signed, and has chosen not to abide by some of the terms?

“It is worthy of note that the notice of impeachment of the Governor was quickly withdrawn by members of the House in fulfillment of the terms of the agreement and out of immense respect for the person and office of the President of the Federal Republic and believing that there would be a u-turn in terms of unlawful actions of the Governor.

“The reverse is now the case as we see from the day to day activities of the State Governor being conducted outside the laws of Rivers State and the Constitution.

“To this day, Rivers State remains the only state without an Appropriation Law and the Governor recklessly abandons laws of the state. These new hawks in the scene and all those who are quick to refer to the Governor as ‘Mr. Innocent’ will not go and advise him.

“They prefer to hold talk shows, organize rallies, hold press conferences and announce that the House commenced impeachment proceedings against the Governor for no just cause but fail to ask the Governor if he has not been informed of the particulars of gross misconduct leveled against him or at least read them when they were filed in Court in response to his petition.

“They must not forget that the Rivers State House of Assembly has the mandate of the people and that we swore an oath of allegiance to the Constitution to do the needful including the Impeachment of the Governor as a last resort.

“So, if it becomes a last resort, in accordance with the law, we will not hesitate to do so, because no individual is bigger than Rivers State, including the Governor.

“We assure the good people of Rivers State that we remain undeterred in our service to our fatherland and no number of threats including those of violence against us just like they attacked the Speaker’s residence will make us abandon our constitutional mandate to make laws for the good governance of our dear State,” the lawmakers said.

Governor Fubara had recently vowed to complete his tenure no matter the plot of his political detractors.