Fubara dismisses impeachment rumour, Rivers elders caution FG

Fubara dismisses impeachment rumour, Rivers elders caution FG

CHIGOZIE AMADI

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Sunday, dismissed fears of impeachment following Friday’s Supreme Court judgment recognising the 27 lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike.

In its far-reaching verdict on Friday, the apex court ordered the Federal Government to stop financial allocation to Rivers State until Fubara retraces his steps and presents the budget to the pro-Wike lawmakers, led by Martins Amaewhule.

The court also nullified the local government election conducted last year by Fubara.

The apex court judgment put the balance of power in the hands of Wike and the lawmakers in the state’s political crisis, which started in October 2023.

At the height of the political crisis between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, the Rivers State House of Assembly has split into two, with 27 lawmakers backing Wike, while four others pitched their tent with Fubara.

In October 2023, the pro-Wike lawmakers had first attempted to impeach Fubara, a move countered by the governor, leading to the destruction of the Assembly complex by a bomb explosion.

Insisting that the pro-Wike lawmakers had lost their legislative seats following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, Fubara had shunned the 27 lawmakers and rather presented the 2024 and 2025 budgets to the four-member Assembly loyal to him.

However, in its Friday judgment, the Supreme Court described Fubara’s action as illegal and ordered him to take the budget to the pro-Wike lawmakers.

However, Despite Friday’s judgment, which shifted the balance of power in favour of the pro-Wike lawmakers, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed any fear of impeachment by Fubara.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Johnson said,

“Afraid of what? The governor is on his toes and he has the mandate of the Rivers people. The governor will obey the law, respect the sanctity of the law and respect the opinions of Rivers people.

“We are beginning the inauguration of projects on Monday and in the next 10 days, we will be inaugurating projects.

“The governor is not daunted by the shenanigans of detractors of the state.

“The Supreme Court didn’t remove the governor. It merely withholds the allocations of Rivers State.”

Asked whether Fubara will comply with the order to take the budget before the pro-Wike lawmakers, Johnson said the state government was still awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment to study it and guide its decision.

“I cannot say whether we will implement it or not. Let us see what the judgment says, evaluate it and then we will be able to do according to the law without hurting the law or Rivers people,” Johnson said.

He insisted that Amaewhule and 26 others were no longer members of the state Assembly.

“We got a judgment from the Rivers State High Court that said they are no longer members of the state Assembly.

“We got to the Court of Appeal, which said that a state High Court had no jurisdiction.

“If you follow this move, you will agree that obviously the Supreme Court, which is the apex court that we respect, made a pronouncement based on the facts before it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Rivers Elders, who have been supporting Fubara since his crisis with Wike began in 2023, advised the governor against going to beg his estranged political godfather following the unfavourable Supreme Court judgment.

In an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, a member of the Rivers State’s Elders Forum and pioneer spokesman for the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, said the state would not succumb to any unnecessary pressure because of the Supreme Court judgment.

Sara-Igbe, who is also the National Coordinator of the South-South Elders Forum, said, “Well, Rivers State will not succumb to unnecessary pressure. Rivers State cannot succumb to somebody who wants to take over the state and we cannot beg anybody in this matter.

“The Federal Government and the Supreme Court want to know what will happen. At the appropriate time, they will see what will happen.”

When asked if elders of the state would advise Fubara to beg Wike and the 27 lawmakers, Sara-Igbe said, “We will not.”

Fubara orders LG chairmen to hand over

Meanwhile, Fubara, in a statewide broadcast on Sunday,  directed the chairmen of the 23 local government elected last year to hand over by Monday, following Friday’s Supreme Court judgment that nullified the poll.

The governor directed the LG chairmen to hand over to the Heads of Local Government Administration in their councils.

He said the Heads of LGs would manage the councils pending the conduct of a fresh LG poll.

Sunday’s broadcast was Fubara’s first public reaction to Friday judgment by the apex court.

The governor said the measure became imperative since the Supreme Court had earlier outlawed the use of caretaker committees to run local governments.

Fubara said, “Given the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government councils, pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

“I further direct the outgoing local government chairmen to formally hand over the levers of power to the Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, 3rd March 2025.”

The governor said although his administration disagreed with the judgments, it was bound to obey the orders made therein by the court as a law-abiding government.

He said, “We are all aware of the recent Supreme Court judgments and pronouncements regarding aspects of the lingering political disputes in our dear state.

“Although we disagree with the judgments, we are bound to obey the orders made therein as a law-abiding government.

“Since inception, we have conducted the affairs of government within the framework of our constitution, due process and the rule of law.

“While we are not above mistakes because we are humans, we believe that we have not, as a government, done anything deliberately to trample on the rule of law or the hallowed principles of constitutional governance.”

The governor said he met with a team of his lawyers, who assured him that the CTC of the judgments may be available by March 7, 2025.

“I assure you that upon the receipt of certified judgments, we shall study their ramifications and implement them without reservations to move the state forward.”

Fubara regretted that with the pronouncements of the apex court, the state appeared to be back in trying times.

He, however, called on the people and residents of the state to remain calm, and peacefully go about their legitimate daily activities.

He promised that the government would continue to do everything in its power to advance good governance for the citizens.

“Although our dear state seems to be back in trying times, I urge everyone to remain calm and peacefully go about with their legitimate daily activities as we continue to do everything in our power to advance our responsibilities to the citizens,” he said.

LG takeover standoff

Meanwhile, there is palpable tension in the state as speculations are rife that the ousted local government chairmen who served under Wike’s administration are planning to return.

The Amaewhule-led Assembly had extended the tenure of the council chairmen by six months to allow for the election.

The lawmakers bypassed Fubara’s authority by enacting the law extending the tenure of the 23 LG chairmen by six months.

However, Fubara went ahead to appoint caretaker committees to man the councils before the conduct of the election.

The development resulted in chaos in many council secretariats, as about four council headquarters were vandalised in the ensuing melee.

Speaking to our correspondent, one of the former chairmen, Dr Samuel Nwanosike, said though the Supreme Court had annulled the local government election conducted by RSIEC, he and his colleagues would wait for the Assembly to make a pronouncement.

Nwanosike stated, “By the ruling of the Supreme Court on October 11, 2024, I remain the chairman of Ikwerre LGA. However, we will wait for the Rivers State House of Assembly to make a pronouncement on that.”