The Peoples Democratic Party and the Rivers State Government on Monday kicked against the call by a faction of the All Progressives Congress for the resignation or impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The development comes as Fubara said he would not be deterred by threats from those pushing to disrupt governance through the instigation of political crises in the state.
He warned against any act of lawlessness and insisted that his path would remain focused on ensuring peace.
“I want to say to our teeming supporters, I know some of you, your spirits are high, some others, your spirits are low.
“I want to assure you, it doesn’t matter what the situation might be today, we will come up again stronger and better.
“Please continue to follow my footstep, and that footstep remains the path of peace. We need it because if anything happens, we are the greatest losers,” Fubara declared.
The APC faction loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike had called for the governor’s resignation or impeachment, citing multiple alleged offences.
The opposition party, led by Chief Tony Okocha, also dismissed the governor’s invitation to a reconciliatory meeting with the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly as a “Greek gift.”
Fubara, in a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, on Sunday, invited the lawmakers for dialogue on Monday, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that validated the 27 legislators as the authentic Assembly members.
Reacting to the invitation on Sunday, one of the lawmakers, Isaiah Opuende, who represents Akuru-Toru Constituency 2, blasted Fubara for using social media channels.
Calling for Fubara’s resignation, Okocha, in his address to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, accused the governor of disrespecting President Bola Tinubu and failing to implement the eight-point resolution earlier set to resolve the crisis.
He wondered if the governor had bent over backwards after a protracted grandstanding.
The APC chieftain described Fubara as “clueless” and insisted that the only viable option left for him was to either resign honourably or face impeachment.
“The options before Siminalayi Joseph Fubara are two: he should honourably resign or be impeached because he has run the state aground and disrespected Mr President.
“The invitation to the lawmakers is a Greek gift. The Supreme Court judgment is final. There is nothing anybody can do about it.
“The only option available to the governor now is for him to resign or be impeached. And he should be honourable about it,” he said.
He stated, “The APC remains the major opposition party in Rivers State. We are the voice of the voiceless. When we said Siminalayi Fubara was clueless, we were not joking. The evidence is clear.
“The governor behaves like a saint, but he is a dangerous snake. His meeting agenda with the lawmakers is puerile. Is he inviting them to discuss the Supreme Court judgment?
“And why was the invitation letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, instead of the governor himself? It’s an aberration. As far as I’m concerned, it is a Greek Gift.”
Chief Okocha noted that the party would not stand idly by and watch the governor running the state aground with his style of governance.
He warned that the governor’s continued stay in office could lead to political instability in the state, likening the situation to a “keg of gunpowder” ready to explode.
Responding, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed Okocha’s comments, stating that he lacked the authority to speak on behalf of the APC leadership. Johnson described Okocha as an ‘impostor’ whose removal as the state APC chairman had been confirmed by the court.
He further stated that the call for impeachment was baseless, as the governor had demonstrated his commitment to peace by reaching out to the lawmakers for dialogue.
The commissioner stated, “I’ve decided not to be reckoning with what Chief Okocha says because he’s not a consistent person. He doesn’t have any moral grounds to make that call (impeachment) because as far as the law is concerned, he’s an impostor.
“A Rivers State High Court has long removed him from office. So, I think that he’s dangerously looking for relevance and I don’t think that he deserves it from this government.”
Speaking further, he said “This is not the first time, at some point he said he was going to ask members of his party who were in the House to invoke an impeachment proceeding. Not too long, he recanted
“So he’s not a man of his word. Nobody is talking about impeachment.
“An impeachment is not even on the table. The government is open to discussing with the Assembly members.”
The PDP described Okocha’s stance as “hallucination.”
In an interview with The PUNCh, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, accused the APC faction of attempting to create unnecessary political tension.
He asked the opposition party in the state to focus on addressing national challenges, rather than fuelling political crises in the state.
Ologunagba called on Okocha to deal with the issues concerning his chairmanship of the APC in Rivers and leave Fubara out of his troubles.
He said, “The man you are talking about has a lot of issues to deal with, one of which is his claim to the chairmanship of the APC in Rivers State.
“All we can say is that the man is hallucinating. He is in a dream world and we can’t stop him from dreaming.
“However, he must be told that impeachment is a constitutional process and not what you just sleep and dream about.
“Instead of Governor Fubara, Okocha should help his party think of how to deal with the hardship they have brought on Nigerians.
“Nigerians are being made to pay exorbitant tariffs in energy and telecoms and life has never been this hellish. This is what should bother him and his party, the APC.”
Ologunagba added that Fubara remained popular among the people of Rivers State.
“He has no locus standi to tell Governor Fubara to resign because the Rivers people are very happy with him.
“They are proud of the work he is doing. In a very short period, he has impacted the people of Rivers State in a manner that deserves our collective applause.
“Governor Fubara was elected to lead his people and he is doing that excellently,” he added.
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, said no rational person would demand Fubara’s impeachment.
He said the governor had firmly established himself in the state’s politics and had the backing of the people.
“Those calling for the impeachment of Governor Fubara don’t understand the constitution. Impeaching a performing governor like the Rivers State governor is not a tea party.
“The stakeholders are with him, and they know it is not a tea party to impeach him; he enjoys the support of the Rivers people.
“Governor Fubara has entrenched himself in the politics of Rivers State. He cannot be impeached and should not be impeached.
“Those who have said so, I believe they should retrace their steps. No sane person will move to impeach Fubara,” he added.
The state Publicity Secretary of the Emeka Beke-led APC faction, Darlington Nwauju, also described Okocha as an impostor benefitting from the crisis.
Nwauju, in a statement sent to our correspondent, said, “Recall that part of the grounds which the Supreme Court latched on to sustain the Federal High Court judgment which nullified the local government elections in Rivers State was that the election went ahead despite the court judgment stopping the process.
“Now, our question is – if we are not a people suffering collective amnesia in Rivers State, why must a Tony Okocha, who is still parading himself as chairman of the APC in Rivers against the judgment of the court, now be the person pontificating over abuse of or disobedience to court process?
“What kind of physician goes about healing others while needing a health emergency?
“The likes of Tony Okocha are conflict entrepreneurs as far as the political saga in Rivers State is concerned and posterity will not forget the ignoble roles he is playing in dismantling democracy and the rule of law in Rivers State,” Nwauju, the spokesman of the faction loyal to the former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, said.
Fubara urges calm
Fubara has urged the people to remain peaceful and law-abiding in the overall interest of the state.
He spoke at the inauguration of the Nyeweali Akpor Kingdom palace and a magnificent residential quarters for the king, Eze Levi Oriebe, at Ozuoba in Obi/Akpor Local Government Area on Monday.
He warned against any act of lawlessness and assured his supporters that he would come out stronger from the crisis.
“Please continue to follow my footstep, and that footstep remains the path of peace. We need it because if anything happens, we are the greatest losers.
“I will not encourage any act of disobedience or any act of violence. That is, however, not to say that we will support evil. We will never support evil.”
He said his administration remained focused on good governance and would not renege on the promise of delivering impactful, people-oriented development projects continually.
Fubara considered the palace inauguration as historic, being the first in over 200 years of the kingdom’s existence.
He said he promised to build the palace 10 months ago, during the flag-off of reconstruction work on the Okania-Ogbogoro road.
He said his administration achieved the fear six months after the project was awarded for construction.
“I was really touched to the point that I had a few drops of tears when the royal father was speaking. He said for over 200 years that the Akpor Kingdom has existed, it functioned without a palace.
“God doesn’t make mistakes. Maybe, He left it for our administration to build, so that we will be part of history forever in Akpor Kingdom,” Fubara said.
He added that he not only built a palace but also provided a personal residence for the Nyeweali.
He urged the Obio/Akpor people to remain supportive of his administration.
The Eze Oha Apara (IV) and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu-Wodo, during the inauguration, recalled that a few months ago, he benefitted from a magnificent palace built for his kingdom by the Fubara administration.
Eze Worlu-Wodo, who is also the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, said the government was spending much to build palaces for traditional rulers because it understood they were closest leaders to the people.
“I am glad to be here, Your Excellency, to witness your display of goodwill, respect and good intention for the traditional institution. Your Excellency, you have done well, and I must say, we are all proud of you,” he said.
Providing the project description, the Commissioner for Special Projects, Dr Rowland Obed-Whyte, said the construction was awarded in August 2024, and the work was completed in six months.
RSIEC arrest warrant
The Amaewhule-led Assembly has issued an arrest warrant on the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.) and four of his commissioners.
The arrest warrant followed the expiration of the 72-hour ultimatum given to them by the Assembly to appear before it.
The Assembly members, during plenary on Monday, unanimously agreed for the arrest warrant on Justice Enebeli (retd.) and four of his commissioners.
The Assembly, in a statement signed by the media aide to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu, was titled “Rivers Assembly wields a big stick, issues warrant of arrest to compel the attendance of Justice Enebeli (retd.) and other RSIEC commissioners.”
It read: “Invoking its powers to issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to attend, the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Monday, at its 133rd legislative sitting, rode on the crest of Section 129(1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and resolved to wield the big stick, by issuing a warrant of arrest on the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), and other commissioners of the commission for repeated failure to appear before the House to explain the commission’s alleged malfeasance in the conduct of the purported ill-starred 5th October 2024 Local Government Election in the state.
“And where the commission expects to generate funds to conduct the proposed 2025 election.”
The House resolved after three former commissioners in the commission who resigned their appointment recently appeared before to explain their roles.
The House Leader, Major Jack, read Section 129 (1)(d) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution to remind the House of the powers conferred on them as an Assembly by the Constitution, emphasising the flagrant refusal of Justice Enebeli (retd.), and other members of the commission to honour the summon.
Commenting on the issue before putting the question to voice vote, Amaewhule decried the situation where those who appeared before the Assembly for screening and confirmation when they were seeking to be appointed now treated summons from the Assembly with levity.
He said Justice Enebeli (retd.) must be brought to the House for questioning on the billions of naira of Rivers people’s money they squandered in the guise of local government election.
When the Speaker put the question to voice vote, the members voted in the affirmative.
Earlier, the House had given the first reading to three Bills; the Rivers State House of Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Bill, 2025; the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Bill, 2025, and the Rivers State Local Government Bill, 2025.
Rivers elders intervene
A former Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, Chief Rufus Ada-George, has called on all the warring factions in the raging political crisis in the state to sheathe their swords.
He also asked them to refrain from inflammatory statements, unnecessary ultimatums and threats in the interest of the state.
Speaking at a news briefing on Monday, Ada-George expressed a sense of commitment to the peace and well-being of the state and reminded the political gladiators in the crisis of the rich history and the remarkable progress made over the years.
“Currently, it appears that we are drifting far into the ocean. But, we still need to aim higher for peaceful co-existence and greater developments,” he said.
The former governor further said in light of the seemingly boiling political pronouncement and judgment by the Supreme Court, “I assert that peace is our utmost priority.
“I call on all parties involved to immediately stop all threats, inflammatory statements, ultimatums and exercise restraint in their pronouncements to avoid escalating the fever pitch tension.”
He enjoined all to “draw lessons from history, particularly from the then 1962 Western Regional crisis as recently emphasised by one prominent citizen of that area.
“Avoidable crises of this nature, if not swiftly and fairly handled, may have far-reaching consequences not just in Rivers State but on the entire nation.
“We cannot afford to degenerate into such a crisis again.”
Ada-George said although the Supreme Court had given its verdict, there was still room for humane and pragmatic decisions to be made.
“Already, the flashy lights are increasing by the day with the pronounced withholding of monthly allocations to the state.
“The end product and anger are being visibly seen on the faces of the ordinary man on the street.
“As a people, we must constantly cultivate the attitude of compromise. Even in the most tense and war-torn regions, compromise has proven to be a powerful tool for resolving conflicts and fostering peace,” he said.
Ada-George called on all former governors and their deputies to speak out in the best interest of Rivers State.
He also called on the 32 members of the legislature to prioritise the well-being of the state above personal and sectional interests.
“It’s time for us to come together as one cohesive, united people in our quest for peace and prosperity.
“As the oldest civilian governor of Rivers State, I’m optimistic about the future of our dear state.
“I, therefore, urge you all to join me in this call to action, to work together towards a peaceful, brighter, more prosperous future for ourselves and for generations to come,” he said.
Another member of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum and pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Amabs Sara-Igbe, chided Okocha for fomenting trouble.
Sara-Igbe defended the letter addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly through the SSG, Danagogo.
“I am surprised that Tony Okocha, with his level of education, does not know the role of the executive governor. Do the president or governor sign letters officially?
“Official letters are communicated through the secretary to the government whether federal or state. It’s not the role of Mr President or Mr Governor to sign letters.
“There are no two governors in Rivers State. We have only one governor who is the head of the government and so if the head of the government invites you to a meeting, it is normal, it is right, except you’ll tell us we have two governors,” he said.
He warned that any attempt to take the governor’s peace overtures as a sign of weakness would be resisted by the people of the state and the Niger Delta.
“Nobody is praying for problems. The governor said he’s going to implement the Supreme Court judgment. The judgment did not say impeach him or he should resign, right?
“And even though we have issues with the Supreme Court judgment, it’s the highest court, so we’re going to obey it; we’re going to implement it.
“But they should not take that for granted because we want to implement the judgment, so he (Okocha) will talk anyhow.
“Rivers people will not take it lightly and Niger Delta will not take it if anything happens to Sim. Let him get it clear in his mind,” he said.
Group demands lawsuit
A non-governmental organisation, Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, has given a seven-day ultimatum to Fubara to institute a suit against the Assembly members for lying on oath.
The group said the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC.
In a letter to the governor on Monday, signed by the President General of the group, Chizy Enyi, the group said if the governor failed, it would have no option but to apply for an order of mandamus to compel him to do so.
“I give you seven days pre-action notice to prosecute the under-listed persons who are officials of Rivers State government who lied on oath and thereby committed perjury.
“The affected lawmakers are Martin Chike Amaewhule, Dumle Maol, Major Jack, Linda, Somiari Stewart, Franklin U. Nwabocha, Christopher K. Ofiks and Azeru Opara.
“Others are Enemi A. George, Tonye Adoki, Granville W. Tekenari, Ngbar Bernard, John Dominic Iderima, Queen Owuma Tony, Loolo Isaiah Opuende, Abbey Peter, Igwe Obey-Aforji, Justina Emeji and Ignatius Onwuka.
“Also listed are Chimezie Nwankwo, Lemchi Prince Nyevhe, Barile Nwakoh, Emilia Lucky Amadi, Nkemjika Ezekwe, David O. Arnold, Nwankwo Sylvanus, Gerald Oforji and Wami Solomon.
“We wish to let you know that if you fail within seven days to initiate criminal prosecution against the above-mentioned persons, we will apply to the court for an order of mandamus to compel you to do so,” the statement read.
The group added that all necessary documents relating to the alleged offence “to enable you (Fubara) to prove your case beyond reasonable doubt are hereby attached.”
Plateau PDP warns
Some PDP chieftains in Plateau State, speaking with The PUNCH in separate interviews in Jos, on Monday, condemned the call for Fubara’s impeachment or resignation.
A member of the state PDP executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the situation in Rivers as “unfortunate.”
He warned that any attempt to impeach the governor would be met with resistance.
Another party leader blamed the judiciary for the crisis.
“The problem we are having in the country is the judiciary. If not, the Rivers lawmakers have defected to another party and everybody saw it, but the judiciary thinks otherwise. That’s the problem,” he added. (Punch)
