Opposition Federal Lawmakers Reject Impeachment Move Against Rivers Governor Fubara

The Nigeria Opposition Lawmakers Coalition has dismissed the impeachment notice served against Governor Siminalayi Fubara by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, calling it invalid. The lawmakers, who are reportedly loyal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, are accused of attempting to avoid the State’s 2025 budget presentation.

Earlier on Monday, the Rivers State House of Assembly served a notice of alleged misconduct against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu. This development comes amidst rising tensions between the governor and the State Assembly over the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

Governor Fubara had sent a letter to Speaker Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule on March 13, 2025, expressing his intention to present the budget on March 19, 2025, or at another time later in the month. This came after the governor was allegedly locked out of the Assembly the previous week.

In a statement, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for the opposition federal lawmakers, condemned the impeachment effort, accusing the pro-Wike members of the Rivers State House of Assembly of trying to create a crisis and heighten tensions in the state.

Ugochinyere emphasized that the impeachment notice lacked legal validity and was simply a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the lawmakers’ constitutional violation, namely, their refusal to accept the budget due to their personal interests, which they claimed were causing hardship for the people of Rivers.

The Opposition Coalition further stated, “There is still a valid court judgment barring them from initiating any impeachment move. As long as that order remains, they can only dream of removing Fubara to fulfill their own political agendas, but in reality, Fubara is beyond their reach. These individuals are nothing more than local political blackmailers and propagandists. They have caused Rivers state suffering up to the Supreme Court, and when they won on the budget, the governor complied and presented it. However, they refused to receive it, indicating that their true interest is not the budget, but to make the people of Rivers suffer.”

The statement also criticized the lawmakers for their sudden actions, pointing out the inconsistencies in their behavior. “The Governor wrote another letter to them, but they claimed to have gone on recess on Friday evening. Now, suddenly, the same people who went on recess wake up on Monday to announce that they have started a purported impeachment process—clearly a distraction from the upcoming budget presentation.”

The Coalition further accused the lawmakers of fabricating allegations of age falsification against the Chief Judge, a figure they had previously cleared, in a desperate attempt to undermine the judiciary and gain support for their anti-Rivers agenda.

“How can you refuse to accept the budget, claim to be on recess, and then, from hiding, announce an impeachment on the same grounds of refusing to present the budget? These allegations of imaginary offenses are nothing but desperate maneuvers by Abuja-centric individuals seeking to install a speaker, who is a Wike ally, as the governor. This move is doomed to fail,” the Coalition stated.

They concluded by urging the people of Rivers State to ignore the “childish blackmail” and continue with their daily lives, as the impeachment attempt was bound to amount to nothing.