Impeach Gov Fubara now – APC tells Rivers lawmakers

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has instructed members of the House of Assembly, under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule, to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Tony Okocha, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, issued this directive during a press briefing held in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, May 7.

Okocha’s directive came in response to the governor’s recent statement asserting that “the Assembly members are no longer recognized by the law.” The governor and 27 Assembly members aligned with former governor Nyesom Wike have been engaged in a fierce standoff since an attempt to impeach the governor was thwarted.

During a visit by a delegation from Bayelsa State, comprising political and traditional leaders led by former governor Seriake Dickson, to the Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara criticized the Amaewhule-led lawmakers in the state Assembly, declaring them null and void in legal terms. Fubara expressed regret that despite his efforts to pursue a peaceful resolution to the political discord that arose in the state last year due to disagreements with Wike, his former political mentor, the opposing party continued to disrupt his administration.

“Let me say it here, those groups of men, who claim they are Assembly members, are not existing. I want it to be on record. I accepted that peace accord to give them a soft-landing. That is the truth. There is nothing in that peace accord that is a constitutional issue. It is a political solution to a problem. I accepted it because these are people that were visiting me and we were together in my house.

These are people that I have helped… in many ways when I was not even a governor. Yes, we might have our disagreements, but I believe one day, we could also come together. That was the reason I did it. But I think it has gotten to a time when I need to make a statement on this thing, so that they understand they are not existing. Their existence and whatever they have been doing is because I allowed them to do so. If I don’t recognize them, they are nowhere, that is the truth.”

Reacting to Governor Fubara’s comment, Okocha said no section of the constitution empowers the governor to declare the Assembly members non-existence.

“The president (Bola Tinubu) cannot be derided by the governor. The president is the leader of our own political party and it will be foolhardy and stupidity on our part to sit down, to see somebody less than Mr. President insult Mr. President under our very nose. It is also absurd to see the governor begin to espouse impunity, intimidation on people who are members of our political party and we stand akimbo doing nothing.

We are here to respond vehemently and stoutly to say to you that as chairman of APC, Rivers State, as representative of Mr. President, that I won’t sit here to see the governor insult the president. We won’t sit here to see the governor declare on his own as if he is a court to declare Assembly members’ seats vacant.

To that extent, in consultation with my party, we have directed APC Assembly members to immediately commence impeachment processes of Governor Fubara. Impeachment of a government that does not respect the Rule of Law

“And if they don’t do that, there is what is called party discipline, we shall invoke that aspect of the constitution and deal decisively with them. We will not also sit down here on behalf of Rivers people to see Rivers State become a laughing stock in the comity of nations,” he said.