Rivers State Joins Edo, Ondo, In the Impeachment Race; Governor Fubara’s Job On The Line

By Ayodele Oni

The job of the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, is on the line. The impeachment rope is dangling dangerously around his neck.

This is as it has become obvious that idle Houses of Assembly in States have found new lucrative job to do.

In the last three months, the topic has been getting out of office perceived Deputies that have lost out in the game of politics with their principals.

t was first in Edo State where Governor Godwin Obaseki accused his Deputy,, Philip Shuaibu, of disloyalty, occasioned by his lust to succeed him. The battle started with Obaseki sending the Deputy out of Government House in Benin city and relocated his office to an extreme side in the GRA.

The House of Assembly in Edo however distanced itself from the roforofo fight between the two leaders, but rather joined in reconciling them. Intervention by leaders of thought in the State saved Shaibu his job and he again found favour in the Governor.

As the Edo imbroglio was being resolved, Ondo State House of Assembly came up with seven allegations against the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa among which was misappropriation.

Aiyedatiwa was Acting Governor when Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was on medical leave for over three months. During his period of acting, various  allegations were made against him especially his plan to succeed Akeredolu.

Since his return and decision to relocate Ondo Government House to Ibadan, Oyo state, Akeredolu’s aides are busy pursuing how to get Aiyedatiwa out of office with the help of the Assembly.

There have been drama and new political developments over the issue of the impeachment. The intervention by the Federal High Court, which restrained the Assembly from going ahead with the impeachment and the peace move by the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are what is saving Aiyedatiwa’s job till date.

Now Nigerians woke up this week to hear that the impeachment  song is now being sang in Rivers State. This time the target is the Principal, Governor Fubara.

A group had flown a kite earlier on Sunday that Fubara and his maximum political father former Governor Nyesome Wike are at loggerhead.

According to the group, Rivers in Diaspora, a collective of concerned indigenes of Rivers State residing abroad,  “there is sinister plan by some unscrupulous elements to cause disaffection between the incumbent Governor and his mentor.”

It claimed that there is information from sources about how the concerned individuals, both within and outside the Government of Rivers State, are conspiring to create political turmoil within the State.

In a statement, the group alleged that the sinister agenda is to sow discord between  Governor Fubara, and his mentor, Wike.

Few hours after this, report said there was an explosion at the Rivers House of Assembly which razed down the building, apparently to prevent the Lawmakers from sitting on Monday. There is also reported heavy security presence at the assembly’s premises.

Another update is that the Assembly has removed  Ehie Edison as Majority Leader while it also suspended three other lawmakers for yet to be disclosed reasons.

It was also gathered that the remaining 24 members of the House resolved to serve a motion of impeachment on the Rivers State Governor Fubara. His sins are yet to be made public.

Governor Fubara has however described the alleged suspension of the leader of the House ,Edison Ehie and three other Lawmakers as null and void. But the question is whether he has power to reverse the order of the Assembly.

Fubara who stated this when he visited the Assembly complex that was set ablaze by hoodlums Sunday night expressed shock that security personnel who were supposed to protect lives and property turned their guns at him.

The Rivers impeachment drama has just started to unfold, a situation that has made it impossible to know those behind the rampaging Lawmakers and the offences of Mr Governor.