Tensions in Rivers State have risen when Ijaw groups, notably the Ijaw National Congress and the Ijaw Youths Council, issued a strong warning against impeaching Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The parties expressed their willingness to defend Fubara’s authority, warning that any attempt to remove him would destabilize the Niger Delta and hinder oil production in the region.
The warning came after the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, gave a 48-hour deadline for Fubara to resubmit the 2025 budget for approval.
The Assembly’s attitude follows a Supreme Court decision on Friday, February 28, 2025, that reaffirmed its validity, escalating the current political conflict between the governor and parliamentarians loyal to his predecessor and Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s October 5, 2024, local government election was invalid.
The Assembly asked Fubara to present the budget within 48 hours, as it would begin its 12-week recess on Friday, March 7, 2025. The deadline is March 5, 2025.
The Assembly also criticized the governor for directing the heads of local government administration to take over the business of the state’s 23 council offices.
In advance of the Assembly’s announcement in plenary today, the INC, IYC, and other state groups warned that removing Fubara would result in a crisis.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President of the INC, issued a statement condemning the impeachment threats, stating that the Ijaw people would not stand by while their first riverine governor in decades was undermined.
He also criticized the Supreme Court verdict on the Rivers political issue, claiming that it failed to recognize the historical and political sacrifices made by the Ijaw people in the government of Rivers State.
He threatened that any attempt to undermine Fubara would have dire consequences for national peace and economic stability, especially in the crude oil and gas-rich region.
“If Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated by the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly or anybody else, the INC cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production,” Prof. Okaba said.
Speaking on the contributions of the Ijaw people in the governance of Rivers State, he said, “In 1999, an Ijaw leader, Chief Marshal Harry, was instrumental in securing the Peoples Democratic Party ticket for Dr. Peter Odili, despite a formidable challenge from Sergeant Awuse.
“Harry further ensured Odili’s victory against a Kalabari opponent, Chief Ebenezer Isokariari of the All Peoples Party.
“In 2003, the INC recalled that when Marshal Harry backed Sergeant Awuse’s governorship ambition, it was not Awuse but Harry himself who was assassinated, marking a painful loss for the Ijaw people.
“By 2007, Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a decisive role in securing victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warlord, was killed during Omehia’s swearing-in to prevent security breaches.”
In 2011, Rotimi Amaechi attempted to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, but Mrs. Patience Jonathan, wife of the then President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, blocked the nomination. Despite the Ijaw people’s sacrifices, a political elite from the Ikwerre ethnic group attempted to sabotage the first riverine governor in decades. The Ijaw nation vowed to defend Fubara “with every pint of beer.”
He also stated, “In 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, wife of the then President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead.”
He regretted that, despite the Ijaw people’s sacrifices, a political elite from the Ikwerre ethnic group attempted to undermine the first riverine governor in decades.
Okaba vowed that the Ijaw nation would defend Fubara “with every pint of blood in their veins.”
Despite the INC’s efforts to maintain peace in the Niger Delta, which increased oil production and revenue, the same resources were being used to marginalize the people.
He noted that the pattern went beyond Rivers State to Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states, where the Ijaw remained politically excluded.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to rise to the occasion, emphasizing that the current political situation in Rivers State should not be dismissed as ordinary politics.
He stated that the Ijaw people, who number more than 40 million worldwide, will not tolerate any attempt to undermine their position in Nigerian politics.
