Fubara urges calm as lawmakers insist on impeachment

Amid the impeachment notice served on the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, he has urged residents to remain calm, stressing that peace is the most urgent need in the state at this time. Last Thursday, the Rivers State House of Assembly levied eight counts of impeachable accusations against Governor Fubara and his deputy, […]

Amid the impeachment notice served on the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, he has urged residents to remain calm, stressing that peace is the most urgent need in the state at this time.

Last Thursday, the Rivers State House of Assembly levied eight counts of impeachable accusations against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Speaking at an Inter-Denominational Church Service commemorating the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day at St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Port Harcourt, Fubara assured the congregation that the situation would be resolved.

Explaining that his silence since the notice was intentional, the governor said his confidence and resilience were rooted in his faith in God.

• 2026: N1.07bn voted for Tinubu, Shettima’s residences’ renovation
• Gunmen abduct women, children in Kogi community

Appearing to take a veiled jab at supporters of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, he recalled his New Year’s message: “Dogs bark when they do not understand.”

“When we were marking New Year’s Day, I said, dogs bark when they don’t understand. The reason I don’t complain is that I know what I have; I have the Supreme, that is God. I want you to relax. What is important in this our dear state is peace, and we will get it,” he said.

Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Odu echoed the call for calm, urging citizens to conduct themselves responsibly. She also appealed for continued prayers for the administration, describing them as vital sources of strength. Archbishop Blessing Eyinda, Dean of the Anglican Communion, in his sermon, reminded attendees that every action would one day be remembered.

 

Lawmakers insist impeachment cannot be stopped

However, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have insisted that no court order can halt the impeachment of Governor Fubara and his deputy.

Dr. Enemi Alabo George, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, raised alarm on Sunday over what he described as a plot by some individuals linked to the executive to procure a court order preventing the House from performing its constitutional duties.

He said the scheme involved seeking ex parte orders from state High Courts outside Port Harcourt. The Assembly, however, described such efforts as “dead on arrival,” stating they would amount to subverting the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“All that is required is for the office holders, who have already been duly served with the Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct, to respond item by item rather than deploy clandestine moves to subvert the law or use proxies to malign members and the Rivers State House of Assembly in the media,” George said.

The lawmakers said the move was illegal and in violation of Section 272(3) and Section 188(10) of the Constitution, as well as judicial rulings by the Court of Appeal.

George explained: “The Rivers State House of Assembly has received information of plots by certain persons to utilise some Rivers State High Courts, especially outside the Port Harcourt Judicial Division, to issue ex parte orders illegally stopping the Assembly from performing its constitutional duties.

“These persons are fully aware of Section 272(3), which states that the Federal High Court shall have jurisdiction to determine whether the term of office of a member of the House of Assembly, Governor, or Deputy Governor has ceased or become vacant. Section 188(10) states that no proceedings or determination of the House or its panels shall be entertained or questioned in any court.

“These individuals are also aware of judicial pronouncements, including recent Court of Appeal rulings involving similar ex parte orders by a Rivers State High Court contrary to Section 272(3). A word is enough for the wise.”

The Assembly urged those behind the moves to exercise restraint and respect the Constitution and the rule of law. George added: “We remain committed to the Constitution and the rule of law. May God bless our dear Rivers State and Nigeria.”

 

Wike: Tinubu can sack me if I fail

On his part, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has addressed calls for his removal, saying that it is within the authority of President Bola Tinubu to dismiss him if he fails to deliver.

He made the remarks during a “thank you” visit to his Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, emphasising that the people of the state have never disappointed him since 1999.

Some politicians and interest groups have urged Tinubu to sack Wike over the ongoing political crisis in Rivers. The minister, however, said politics is not driven by sentiment but by interest, which he said should be the interest of the people.

“Power is not given but taken,” Wike said. “For the people of Obio-Akpor, we have the power to dictate who becomes governor in Rivers. There is no sentiment, there is no emotion. Politics is interest—the interest of your people. After all, if Donald Trump did not have power, would he go to Venezuela to pick a president? He wouldn’t. Because he has power, that’s why he can act.”

He warned detractors that any challenge to his camp would be met with consequences at the polls. “All these people commenting from the sidelines, ask them if their local government, which produced only 5,000 votes, can challenge one that produced 40 percent of the votes? We will use our strength to punish them. Nobody has become governor in this state without Obio-Akpor making the pronouncement. Nobody has become senator of Rivers East without Obio-Akpor deciding,” he said.

Wike added that Tinubu recognises his worth and does not need guidance. He praised Tinubu’s contributions to Rivers residents and assured that the people would reciprocate in 2027.

To his detractors, he said: “I chose to be a politician, not a pastor, trader, public commentator, or journalist. Let me play my politics.”

In what appeared to be a direct warning to Governor Fubara’s supporters ahead of the 2027 general election, Wike vowed to use his political influence to punish those opposing him. He underscored that power is not handed out but contested.

 

Tinubu’s emissaries engage both camps – Sources

A source close to Fubara and Wike told Daily Trust that President Tinubu may summon both camps to broker peace in Rivers State. Immediately after the impeachment notice, APC leaders were reportedly sent to both sides to advocate for a ceasefire.

While the meeting could affect Fubara’s chance at a second term ticket in APC, other party governors are lobbying to prevent a sitting governor from being sacrificed for political expediency.

Fubara, as governor of Rivers State, controls substantial resources, and the state is the hub of politics and commerce in the South-South region. Decisions in Rivers often influence neighbouring states.

The newly formed African Democratic Congress (ADC) is reportedly courting Fubara in case APC denies him a second term ticket. The party could offer a platform to channel the state’s resources to strengthen ADC in the South-South region, sources said.

Daily Trust recalls that former governor and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chubike Ameachi, is a key ADC figure who retains a significant influence in Rivers politics.