Before Rivers State Is Set on Fire Again
By Taiwo Olapade
The commencement of impeachment proceedings by the Rivers State House of Assembly against Governor Sim Fubara and his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, may trigger another round of political crisis that could set the oil-rich Niger Delta State on fire.
Twenty-six members of the State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, announced the impeachment proceedings after the House deliberated on what they termed gross misconduct and financial recklessness on the part of Governor Sim Fubara.
The Rivers State House of Assembly also accused the Governor of spending money not appropriated and failing to present the state’s 2026 budget proposal to the lawmakers in line with the rules and procedures.
You will recall that the original Rivers State House of Assembly complex was set on fire by yet-to-be-identified persons and later demolished in the heat of the initial crisis between the Governor and the lawmakers, which prompted the President to intervene.
After several interventions by Mr. President to return peace to the state failed, a state of emergency that lasted for six months was declared, which sent the Governor, the Deputy Governor, and lawmakers back home.
Since Governor Sim Fubara joined the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state and was issued the party membership card 001, his estranged godfather, Mr. Nyesom Wike, seems to have lost sleep and become bitter over the development.
Since other governors in the ruling party, led by Senator Hope Uzodinma, welcomed Sim Fubara into their fold, the FCT Minister has had direct altercations with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, whom he accused of paving the way for Fubara to join the party, as well as the APC National Chairman and National Secretary, over who the leader of the party is in Rivers State. By the APC constitution, governors are the leaders of their party in their respective states. In this case, one may be wondering why the dispute over leadership when the FCT Minister is not a member of the APC.
Lest I forget that the APC governors have also declared full support for the re-election of Governor Sim Fubara.
It is becoming more interesting, you will say, with this sudden impeachment notice to the newly found APC member barely a few days after he jumped ship from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The leadership of the APC in Rivers has described the impeachment notice as totally uncalled for and diversionary, and demanded restraint on the part of the lawmakers.
Let us be serious at this point that if indeed the Governor had committed several impeachable offences as claimed by the lawmakers, the House has the constitutional right to do the needful. But the question remains: who takes over when the Governor and the Deputy are removed? The Speaker, of course. This is where the issue of morality comes in if the Speaker, as number three in the political hierarchy in the state, now takes over as Governor. Remember the saying that you cannot be a judge in your own case.
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly made it clear, though, that their decision was purely legislative and not influenced by anyone, but many still believe that the FCT Minister was the brain behind every move by the lawmakers.
The question is: will Mr. President intervene once again or sit back and watch the drama to the end until Governor Fubara is impeached? Remember that Nyesom Wike openly said that it was the President who saved the embattled Governor from being impeached during the first crisis.
What role will the leadership of the ruling APC play in this whole saga after receiving Governor Sim Fubara with open hands? Dirty politics, you want to say, at play again in Rivers.
Finally, I hope the innocent, peace-loving people of Rivers will not be thrown into the wilderness like orphans, the same way it played out under the emergency rule that posed a setback to development in the oil-rich state.
—Taiwo Olapade, Broadcast Journalist, writes from Lagos.
