The political crisis rocking Rivers State is escalating as tensions rise between the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The APC has issued a directive to the 27 APC members in the House of Assembly to initiate an impeachment process against Governor Fubara.
In response, the state government has criticized the APC’s call for impeachment, denouncing it as an attempt to destabilize the state. Despite the mounting political turmoil, Governor Fubara is preparing to unveil a series of major projects to mark his first year in office.
The APC justifies its call for impeachment by citing Governor Fubara’s alleged failure to uphold a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, several months ago. The recent declaration of the lawmakers’ seats as vacant by Governor Fubara further fueled the APC’s push for impeachment.
Governor Fubara, however, maintains his stance, asserting that the APC lawmakers are not recognized by the law. This statement has drawn sharp criticism from Chief Tony Okocha, the caretaker committee chairman of the Rivers State APC. Okocha accuses the governor of acting like a dictator and disregarding the principles of governance.
He said: “He has re-written the books. Elementary politics taught us there are three organs of government and their roles. And goes further to talk about the separation of powers and checks and balances.
“What the governor was implying clearly is that he is ruling Rivers State without laws. That Rivers State runs an executive arm and judiciary. So, what that implies is simply absurdity.
“You can now see the tendencies of a dictator. As an opposition party in Rivers State, we will not keep quiet, we will shout. Regrettably, the governor has taken up to this point and we will not take it.
“The governor said that the President’s intervention in Rivers State which he signed was not constitutional but a political solution. But he assented to it, not under duress. The agreement was signed in a friendly environment and the governor assented to the proclamation and had the opportunity to speak where he thanked Mr President.
“So, nobody forced him to sign the proclamation. He did it willingly. So, at what point did the governor realise that the resolution was a political matter?”