May 8, (THEWILL)- The Rivers State Government has slammed the All Progressives Congress (APC), over its call on the State House of Assembly, to immediately commence an impeachment process against the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.
A statement by Joseph Johnson, Commissioner for Information and Communications, warned the APC lawmakers loyal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, against embarking on such a venture, stressing that any attempt to impeach the governor will be resisted by the Rivers people.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, had at a press conference in Port Harcourt called on the State Assembly to quickly commence the impeachment process against the governor.
Okocha had said the impeachment call followed Fubara’s remarks that the Abuja peace accord reached by President Bola Tinubu, was a political deal lacking constitutional authority.
However, the Commissioner emphasised that the Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly has no legal authority to impeach the governor.
“It is not going to be an easy journey. They should not imagine embarking on it because Rivers people will resist them. Rivers people will resist them because it is even baseless to think of it. They are not fighting for legitimacy; they are only fighting for their own survival. On what plank will you put that? The law says you can’t put legality on illegality.
“As far as we are concerned, they do not even have the locus standi to do that. They should not even bother to start it because Section 109(g) has settled the case. If an Assembly member defects from his own party that brought him to power, you automatically lose his seat. They have done that and it is settled. Our Constitution is the grand norm.
“The court, the Supreme Court, is there to look at these elementary issues. There is also a subsisting judgment on this, so we don’t need a second opinion on whether we should respect them as Assembly members or not. The Supreme Court has already declared those seats vacant.
“Tony Okocha was just yesterday declared as not being a member of APC by a former chairman of the party, Sokonte Davies. He is a factional chairman. We want the faction led by Chief Emeka Beke to say the same thing. Okocha is standing on one leg. His call is empty. His advice to impeach the governor is a journey that leads nowhere, and they will not succeed. The lawmakers are not existent and they are not seen in law”, he said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
