Three months after the emergency rule was lifted in
Rivers state, members of the state assembly on Thursday,
commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor
Siminalayi Fubara.
In a swift reaction, the Rivers State chapter of the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, vehemently rejected the impeachment processes against the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara started by the state assembly on Thursday.
The assembly at an emergency session listed what it termed
impeachable offences against the governor and resolved to present it to the governor.
Opposing the move, Spokesman of the party in the
state, Darlington Nwauju, made this known on Thursday saying, “we solemnly reject the resort to
an impeachment process against our Governor and his deputy.”
The struggle for the control of
the soul of Rivers and political
structure have pitched Fubara
against Wike.
This struggle led to political
upheaval in the state in 2025
culminating into the declaration
of state of emergency by president
Tinubu in the state.
The governor and members of
the state assembly gave way for
six months and agreements were
reached between the warring
parties leading to the return of the
governor.
Not long after Fubara’s return,
he defected to the All Progressive
Congress without the blessing
of Wike but which the president
sanctioned.
Recall that the minister of the
federal capital territory (FCT)
and immediate former governor
Rivers state, Nyesom Wike,
strongly supported President
Tinubu in the 2023 election,
promising to do same in 2027.
Also, the National Secretary of
the Party, Senator Ajibola Basiru
was not spared by the Minister,
telling him to steer clear of Rivers
politics, or ‘he will get his hand
burnt.’
On Thursday however,
members of the State Assembly,
loyal to Wike, served Governor
Fubara a seven, (7) day
impeachment notice.
Nwauju, on behalf of the
State party, while rejecting the
impeachment said: “Attention
of the Party leadership in Rivers
State has been drawn to the latest
unfortunate developments coming
out from the chambers of the
Rivers State House of Assembly.
“We concede that the
legislature is an independent arm
in the tripod of governance, and
the constitutional responsibilities
of checks and balances are within
their democratic purview.
“Our position as at today on this
matter is that, we solemnly reject
the resort to an impeachment
process against our Governor and
his deputy.
“It will be totally untenable
for our party to keep quiet when
an obvious hangover from strifes
that occurred within the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), are
allowed to resurface in our great
party.
“It is important to say to Rivers
people and Nigerians that since
the latest threat of impeachment
centers on the budget, may we
remind ourselves that under the
period of emergency rule, a budget
was transmitted to the National
Assembly by the President and
Commander-in-Chief, President
Tinubu, in May 2025 which was
approved by the Senate on 25 June
2025 and subsequently, by the
House of Representatives on July
22 2025 for a total sum of N1.485
trillion.
“Interestingly, this budget
is for one year and should run
uptil August 2026 and if the
Governor is comfortable with the
composition of the said budget,
he might not want to present any
supplementary budget.
“Besides, the constitution
allows for a six-months spending
window into the new fiscal year by
a State Governor.
“We therefore, strongly advise
all members of the Rivers State
House of Assembly, especially APC
members, to resist pressures from
outside the Assembly chambers
to destabilise the Government
of Rivers State, ably led by His
Excellency Sir, Siminalayi Fubara.
“Let it be known that our party
will do everything possible to
ensure that the Government of
Rivers State, an APC Government,
is not destabilized through
fratricidal disagreements.
“We therefore, call on members
of the State Assembly, especially
APC members, to immediately,
discontinue the impeachment
process inorder not to drag the
image of our great party on the
mud and stiffle the continuous
progress and development of
Rivers State,” the party spokesman
added.
Also, a group of leaders and
stakeholders of the party, under
the umbrella of APC Leaders
Forum, ALF, and the Tinubu/
Shettima Solidarity Movement,
TSSM, called on President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter
of urgency, remove the Minister,
Federal Capital Territory, FCT,
Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, from
office, immediately.
The group, while embarking
on a peaceful protest in Abuja on
Thursday, made this known in
an open letter to the President,
conveyed through the APC
National Chairman, Prof Nentawe
Goshwe Yilwatda, accused the
Minister of insubordination,
sustained attacks on party
leadership and actions they said,
posed threat to national unity.
Speaking to journalists during
the peaceful demonstration,
the APC leaders said the rally
was driven by concern for the
stability of the ruling party,
national security and protection of
democratic principles, describing
themselves as “loyal supporters
of President Tinubu and his
Renewed Hope Agenda.”
According to the joint letter,
signed by Chief Dr Emeka
Okoro, Dr Adekunle Balogun,
Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf and Mallam
Abdulkareem Isiaka, reaffirmed
their loyalty to President Tinubu
and commitment to advancing the
Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Wike’s conduct amounted to
grave misconduct that undermines
party cohesion, challenging the
authority of the President. His
actions represents direct assault
on the APC leadership and a
dangerous provocation, capable of
destabilising Rivers State and the
wider Niger Delta region.
The protesters also accused
the FCT Minister of launching an
‘unprovoked and hostile attacks’
on the APC National Secretary,
Senator Ajibola Basiru, despite not
being a registered member of the
ruling party.
They referenced remarks
allegedly made by Wike during a
January 5, 2026, visit to Oyigbo
Local Government Area of
Rivers State, where he reportedly,
accused Basiru of interfering in
the State politics, warning that
those involved would ‘get their
fingers burnt.’
“Such comments are insulting
to the party’s National Leadership
and constituted a direct affront
to the APC National Working
Committee, NWC,” the protesters
noted.
The group also, accused Wike
of persistently, attacking the Rivers
State Governor Fubara, alleging
that he mocked the Governor’s
leadership, describing his
emergence as a mistake and vowed
it would be corrected in 2027.
“These actions amounted to
anti-party behaviour that could
weaken the APC’s political fortune
in Rivers State.”
The group further expressed
concern over Wike’s alleged
declaration that “nobody can
enter Rivers State,” describing it
as a challenge to the President’s
authority as Commander-inChief. They warned that such
statements could inflame tensions
and revive memories of past
unrest in the Niger Delta.
“We vowed to sustain our
protests nationwide, if our demand
is ignored, we would continue
across States Loca Governments
until Wike is removed from office.
“Our actions are in defence of
party discipline, national unity
and the President’s leadership.
“The rally is also, organised in
solidarity with Governor Fubara,
Senator Basiru and APC National
Chairman Prof Yilwatda.
“We urge President Tinubu
to act decisively, insisting that
removing Wike would send a
clear message that no individual
is bigger than the party or the
nation.”
However, the Rivers State
House of Assembly has explained
its decision to commence
impeachment proceedings
against Governor Siminalayi
Fubara, citing allegations of gross
misconduct, particularly financial
misappropriation.
The Assembly’s spokesperson,
Enemi Alabo George,
acknowledged that the Senate
Ad-Hoc Committee, during the
period of emergency rule in the
state passed the N1.48 trillion 2025
Rivers State Appropriation Bill.
George said the budget did not
reflect the inputs or aspirations of
the people of Rivers State, noting
that Governor Fubara also did
not have the opportunity to make
contributions that aligned with his
development plans for the state.
According to him, the House
requested that the governor
present a supplementary budget
to capture his policy direction and
priorities, but alleged that Fubara
declined to do so.
George, who represents AsariToru II Constituency, further
claimed that following the
lifting of the emergency rule, the
governor began spending public
funds outside the appropriation
approved by the National
Assembly.
“The governor came back, after
the President magnanimously
lifted the state of emergency.
And if you remember correctly,
immediately we resumed, we
told the governor we know, we
acknowledge the fact that we were
under unusual circumstances.
“And then, the budget that was
passed by the National Assembly
for the Sole Administrator did not
reflect the input of Rivers people.
And then, the governor, who is
the governor, also did not have the
opportunity to make inputs that
will align with his own plan, his
own vision for the state.
“And so, we called on the
governor, privately and publicly;
now that we are back, please can
you now bring a supplementary
budget that will reflect your
own aspirations, your own plan;
assuming the one that the National
Assembly did not certain plans
that you had. Remember he had
no input in that one
“The governor said no, and
then he refused to bring it,” he
said.
George accused the governor
of making heavy payments and
awarding contracts without proper
legislative backing, challenging
him to publicly account for his
spending.
“He went ahead and began to
spend public funds out of even the
appropriation that was done by
the National Assembly, awarding
contracts, making heavy payments
that, that one did not reflect.
“I challenge him to bring that
budget. He has a copy. We have
a copy and we will publish it. Let
him show us the spending. He met
N600 and something billion in
the coffers that Ibas left when he
came.”
He, however, clarified that
some projects, including the
renovation of the State Secretariat
Complex, were captured in the
budget approved by the National
Assembly, stressing that the House
had no objections to such projects.
“All the Assembly wants is
for all the arms of government
to function according to the
prescriptions of the constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
1999 as amended.”
This is not the first
impeachment attempt by the
Rivers State House of Assembly
against Governor Fubara.
The first attempt occurred
on October 30, 2023, when 27
lawmakers convened to initiate
impeachment proceedings, but
the session was disrupted by
supporters of the governor.
The sitting took place a day
after an explosion damaged the
Assembly complex, splitting the
House into factions, 27 lawmakers
aligned with the Minister of the
Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom
Wike, and four loyal to Governor
Fubara
Daily Times