The Ijaw National Congress (INC) stated that the people of Rivers State are against the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, warning the state Assembly loyal to ex-governor, Nyesom Wike, to shelve the plan.
In the same vein, the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council strongly condemned the Martin Amaewhule-led state House of Assembly over its ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The groups warned that the plot is likely to fail and accused the lawmakers of pursuing selfish interests under the guise of constitutional procedure.
The INC described the impeachment as an exercise in futility, berating lawmakers, particularly those of Ijaw extraction, who publicly supported the process despite Fubara being one of their own.
In a telephone interview on Sunday, INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said the actions of some Assembly members amounted to betrayal.
“Yes, I’m very positive that at the end of the day it will all turn out to be a futile exercise,” Okaba said. “There is public outcry against them within and outside Rivers State because it is obvious that this is a clear case of vendetta using the instrumentality of impeachment.
“It is not about the growth of democracy and development; it is all about personal interest above the interest of the state.”
He criticized four lawmakers who initially withdrew from the impeachment process, only to reverse their position within 48 hours, saying it reflects a lack of principles:
“Some Ijaw brothers in the House came out to say they are Ijaw people and that they support the impeachment. People have asked me, Don’t you consider that Ijaw people in the House are supporting it? My answer is no. They are not speaking for Ijaw people. They have not consulted their constituents, and they lack Ijaw spirituality and consciousness.”
Okaba also berated the lawmakers’ alleged acceptance of public funds and benefits while pursuing impeachment:
“Take for instance the issue of supplementary materials. These same persons have collected vehicles worth N350 million while they were on suspension, with some cases being given to all of them. That Greek gift was collected in the public domain, and nobody has refuted that. All of this shows it is about self-interest.”
He alleged that the Assembly Speaker, Amaewhule, orchestrated the impeachment to position himself for a future governorship:
“Somebody is desperate to be governor by all means and therefore orchestrating impeachment. The Speaker should be told, “When your time comes, contest; do not rubbish a system to become governor from the backdoor.”
Okaba stressed that the deputy governor, Odu, had done nothing to warrant impeachment:
“Let’s say the governor fumbled; what did the deputy governor do that you’re also including her? All these displays of selfishness will not work. It will take our democracy several years back if allowed.”
Supporting INC’s stance, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council and pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, said the impeachment was embarrassing to President Bola Tinubu and the people of Rivers State.
“It is very obvious that the Assembly members are showing ingratitude to Mr. President and also to Rivers people. They think they are fighting Sim Fubara; no, they are fighting Rivers people. All they are trying to do is to stall development in the state,” Sara-Igbe said.
Sara-Igbe also criticized lawmakers for failing to respect the emergency rule imposed in the state, which brought in federal oversight following political unrest.
He claimed the lawmakers had already benefited financially during that period:
“If they can do something that made a stranger come and lavish our resources for six months and that is not enough, they still want to impeach the governor. Let them go ahead. But they should realize they are not fighting Sim; they are fighting Rivers’s people, and Rivers State will react appropriately.”
He berated Nyesom Wike for engaging in early political campaigning under the guise of ‘thank you’ visits, describing it as disrespectful to the President and the state:
“They said they have an agreement. I challenge them to publish the agreement they have that Sim refused to implement. If the agreement is in the interest of the state, let them publish it. Rivers people, as far as we are concerned, Sim is going for a second tenure whether they like it or not.”
Sara-Igbe warned that the impeachment could destabilize the state, region, and country if continued:
“The impeachment will hit the rocks. The process takes a long time, and as soon as the seven-man panel comes up to say the man is not guilty, that is the end of it. They cannot harass him with impeachment anymore. Rivers people are tired of their gimmick; we are tired of their tricks.”
He cautioned Wike and his supporters, “What they are doing will trigger problems in the state, in the region, and in the country. So they should think well. If they continue with the impeachment, I wish them well. But at the end of the day, the impeachment will fail. And if it fails, that’s the end of impeachment.”
