Ijaw Congress, Rivers Elders Reject Move to Impeach Governor Fubara

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council on Sunday openly opposed moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, warning that the action lacks public support and is driven by personal interests rather than constitutional necessity.

The two influential groups spoke in Port Harcourt and Abuja as political tension intensified over impeachment proceedings initiated by lawmakers loyal to former governor and current Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike. Both bodies declared that Rivers people were firmly against the plan and cautioned that it could destabilize the state.

In a telephone interview, INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, described the impeachment process as misguided and unnecessary.

He argued that the exercise had already generated widespread condemnation within and outside Rivers State.

“Yes, I’m very positive that at the end of the day it will all turn out to be a futile exercise,” Okaba said. “There is public outcry against them within and outside Rivers State because it is obvious that this is a clear case of vendetta using the instrumentality of impeachment. It is not about the growth of democracy and development; it is all about personal interest above the interest of the state.”

Okaba expressed disappointment with some lawmakers of Ijaw origin who had backed the impeachment despite Governor Fubara being from the same ethnic nationality.

According to him, their support does not reflect the wishes of the Ijaw people.

“Some Ijaw brothers in the House came out to say they are Ijaw people and that they support the impeachment. People have asked me, don’t you consider that Ijaw people in the House are supporting it? My answer is no. They are not speaking for Ijaw people. They have not consulted their constituents, and they lack Ijaw spirituality and consciousness,” he stated.

The INC leader also criticized four Assembly members who initially withdrew from the impeachment push but later returned to support it, describing their action as evidence of inconsistency and lack of principle.

He further accused the lawmakers of benefiting from public funds while pursuing the removal of the governor. “Take for instance the issue of supplementary materials. These same persons have collected vehicles worth N350 million while they were on suspension with some cases being given to all of them. That Greek gift was collected in the public domain and nobody has refuted that. All of this shows it is about self-interest,” Okaba alleged.

Pointing fingers at the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, Okaba claimed that personal ambition was at the root of the crisis. “Somebody is desperate to be governor by all means and therefore orchestrating impeachment.

The Speaker should be told: when your time comes, contest; not to rubbish a system to become governor from the backdoor,” he said.

He also questioned the inclusion of the deputy governor in the impeachment plan, insisting that there was no justifiable reason for targeting her. “Let’s say the governor fumbled, what did the deputy governor do that you’re also including her? All these displays of selfishness will not work. It will take our democracy several years back if allowed,” Okaba added.

Echoing the position of the INC, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council and pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, condemned the Assembly’s action as embarrassing to both President Bola Tinubu and the people of Rivers State.

“It is very obvious that the Assembly members are showing ingratitude to Mr. President and also to Rivers people. They think they are fighting Sim Fubara; no, they are fighting Rivers people. All they are trying to do is to stall development in the state,” Sara-Igbe said.

He accused the lawmakers of disregarding earlier efforts by the Federal Government to restore stability in the state following political unrest, suggesting that they had already enjoyed significant financial benefits during that period.

“If they can do something that made a stranger come and lavish our resources for six months and that is not enough, they still want to impeach the governor. Let them go ahead. But they should realise they are not fighting Sim; they are fighting Rivers people, and Rivers State will react appropriately,” he warned.

Sara-Igbe also challenged claims that Governor Fubara had violated any political agreement, calling on those making the allegation to make such documents public.

“They said they have an agreement. I challenge them to publish the agreement they have that Sim refused to implement. If the agreement is in the interest of the state, let them publish it. Rivers people, as far as we are concerned, Sim is going for a second tenure whether they like it or not,” he declared.

According to him, the impeachment process was unlikely to succeed and would eventually collapse. “The impeachment will hit the rocks. The process takes a long way, and as soon as the seven-man panel comes up to say the man is not guilty, that is the end of it. They cannot harass him with impeachment anymore. Rivers people are tired of their gimmick, we are tired of their tricks,” he stated.

He concluded with a direct warning to those promoting the impeachment. “What they are doing will trigger problems in the state, in the region, and in the country. So they should think well. If they continue with the impeachment, I wish them well. But at the end of the day, the impeachment will fail. And if it fails, that’s the end of impeachment.”

The growing opposition from key socio-political groups reflects the deep divisions created by the impeachment bid, which has further heightened political uncertainty in Rivers State. As the crisis unfolds, attention remains focused on whether the Assembly will proceed with the controversial process amid mounting resistance from major stakeholders.