Rivers Assembly Insists on Fubara, Odu Impeachment, Accuses Governor of Constitutional Violations

 

The Rivers State House of Assembly has reaffirmed its determination to proceed with impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, accusing both officials of waging war against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The lawmakers, addressing journalists during a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Friday, also alleged that the governor was planning to deploy officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to intimidate members of the state legislature.

The members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly made the disclosure during a joint press conference that marked a dramatic turn in the ongoing political crisis that has gripped the oil-rich state for weeks.

Read Also: APC Endorses Fubara for Second Term, Consolidates Political Realignment in Rivers State.

The House had on January 8 commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu, citing gross misconduct and disobedience to the constitution as grounds for the action. Following the initiation of the process, the assembly adjourned to resume impeachment proceedings on Thursday, January 15, after resolving to serve notice of impeachment on the executive through the clerk of the assembly.

However, the House failed to convene for plenary on Thursday, with no official explanation provided for the decision not to sit. The development fuelled speculation about the direction the impeachment process would take, particularly after four lawmakers had publicly sought political solutions to the crisis.

In a twist that has deepened the political drama in Rivers State, the four lawmakers who had earlier advocated for dialogue reversed their positions and rejoined colleagues in pursuing the impeachment.

On Monday, Honourable Sylvanus Nwankwo, the House Minority Leader representing Omuma State Constituency, alongside Peter Abbey, who represents Degema State Constituency, had pulled out of the impeachment process and advised their colleagues against proceeding with the move to remove the governor and his deputy.

Shortly after, Honourable Barile Nwakoh, representing Khana Constituency I, and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II, also urged their colleagues to sheathe their swords and seek political solutions to the escalating crisis.

However, Friday’s media briefing revealed a dramatic reversal. Nwakoh and Amadi, who first addressed journalists, announced they had dropped their earlier stance favouring political solutions and were now prepared to support the impeachment of the governor.

They claimed that Governor Fubara was unwilling to abide by agreements and showed no readiness to retrace his steps on the constitutional issues raised by the legislature.

The Majority Leader of the House, Honourable Major Jack, speaking alongside other lawmakers from the Ijaw ethnic extraction, said both the governor and his deputy had remained adamant in responding to claims of gross misconduct levelled against them.

Jack stated that Governor Fubara was unwilling to obey the constitution, and emphasised that the House would proceed with the impeachment process regardless of external pressure or interventions.

In a joint briefing, members of the 10th assembly insisted there was a need to continue with the proceedings despite interventions from concerned Nigerians and stakeholders.

Honourable Dumle Maol, the Deputy Speaker of the House, who read the official position of the assembly from a prepared address, described the governor as incorrigible, adding that Fubara had demonstrated he could not be advised.

Maol stressed that both the governor and his deputy had remained adamant in resolving the constitutional issues raised in their impeachment notice, and showed no intention of halting what the lawmakers described as continued disobedience to the constitution.

“The governor and the deputy governor do not have any intention to stop disobeying the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered,” Maol stated.

He continued: “This is the third time that impeachment proceedings will top affairs of the state and we have noticed that the governor and the deputy governor have mastered the act of manipulating leaders and public opinion against the house rather than retrace their steps assured the house and indeed Nigerians that infractions on the constitution and laws of Rivers State will be altered in the best interest of the state.”

The Deputy Speaker accused the governor and his deputy of acting as though the Rivers State House of Assembly did not exist, claiming they remained unperturbed about the allegations and continued to boast through their media representatives that members would simply be called to order and could not enforce the constitution.

“This is indeed a real problem for our democracy. As it looks like the Rivers State governor and the deputy governor are above the constitution and will continue to do whatever they like and the arm of government that is empowered to check their services will always be ordered not to work, keep quiet and be humiliated,” Maol said.

He further alleged that while members were positively considering calls from stakeholders for restraint, the governor and deputy governor were busy using paid media platforms to attack the legislature, misinform the masses, and plan to use state institutions such as the EFCC to intimidate lawmakers.

“They have refused to respond to any of the allegations or particulars of gross misconduct but have so much time to go to the church and use innuendos of barking dogs to spite us and are still insisting that they would not respect the legislature or work with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, 10th assembly precisely,” the Deputy Speaker stated.

Maol also criticised stakeholders calling on the legislature to back down, arguing that many were unwilling to call on the governor and deputy governor to do the right thing.

“The governor and the deputy governor are the aggressors, serial offenders of our constitution and a serious threat to our democracy. The sure path to sustainable peace and progress of our state is the rule of law, separation of powers and respect for the constitution and not to blackmail or intimidate anybody or group,” he declared.

The Deputy Speaker insisted that the governor and his deputy were at war with the constitution, and accused those who did not mean well for the state or democracy of reducing the matter to a disagreement between former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Fubara.

“The real problem is that the governor and his deputy are at war with the constitution just to achieve their political goals. We urge the good people of Rivers State to read the notice of allegations against the governor and the deputy governor. We are convinced that they would understand better the situation and the context of our own position,” Maol said.