The political impasse in Rivers State took a deeper crisis dimension yesterday as members of the state House of Assembly initiated impeachment moves along partisan lines, with Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule; his deputy, Dumle Maol, and Chief Judge of the State, Justice Samuel Chibuzor Amadi, as the first casualties.
Eight members of the state legislature loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara impeached the Speaker and his deputy.
Not satisfied, the eight lawmakers suspended the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Amadi, and directed the governor to appoint an Acting Chief Judge for the state.
In a counter attack, 24 members of the state assembly loyal to FCT minister and immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, yesterday signed a notice of impeachment against Governor Fubara.
Meanwhile, the eight lawmakers who sat in one of the buildings in Government House, Port Harcourt, elected the impeached Leader of the House, Edison Ehie, as the new Speaker.
Governor Fubara and chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, congratulated Ehie who was Deputy Speaker of the 9th House of Assembly, on his emergence as Speaker of the House.
Ihunwo, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, expressed hope that the new Speaker will further improve the relationship between the legislature and the executive, and provide more opportunities for the growth of Rivers youths.
But while the governor’s camp were relishing the ouster of the Speaker, his deputy and the Chief Judge, the 24 lawmakers loyal to Wike were signing the notice of impeachment against Governor Fubara.
Gunshots and teargas were reportedly fired within the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex as the lawmakers began the impeachment process on the governor.
This is just as the governor challenged the State House of Assembly, to show justification for the plot to impeach him, insisting that he has not committed any impeachable offence.
The impeachment notice came few hours after the lawmakers impeached the House leader, Hon. Edison Ehie.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, who announced the development during plenary where they leader of the House was impeached, directed the Clerk of the House, Emeka Amadi, to serve impeachment notice on Fubara.
Noting that the action was in line with section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, the Speaker who was later impeached by eight lawmakers said, “Distinguished colleagues, in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, when a notice of impeachment is delivered to Mr. Speaker, that notice will have to be forwarded to the governor as it was presented for his reply.
“On that note, Clerk, do forward this notice of impeachment to the governor, ensure that he gets it and allow the constitution to take its cause.”
Amaewhule had earlier accused the Rivers State Government House and the impeached leader of the House, Ehie, of masterminding the explosion that occurred in the House of Assembly complex on Sunday night.
He said, “The hallowed chamber of this House was burnt down and the information reaching us is that this was supervised from the Government House of Rivers State and Edison Ehie, the majority leader of the House, and his cohorts.”
Reacting to the impeachment plot against him, Governor Fubara said he has not committed any offence to warrant his removal by the state House of Assembly.
Fubara who spoke during a visit to the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly after it was razed by suspected arsonists condemned the burning of sections of the building of such an important public institution built with taxpayers’ money.
The governor described as unfortunate attempt by some disgruntled persons to forcefully take over control of the State House of Assembly.
He accused a serving deputy commissioner of Police (DCP) in-charge of Operations in the state of masterminding an attack on his convoy while he was going to the House of Assembly complex.
Fubara said, “The truth is that everybody who knows me knows that I am a peaceful person. I can never ever, even if I am aware that there is a plot to impeach me for whatever reason, be part of such destruction.
“I am worried that a facility like this that we used taxpayers’ money to build will be destroyed for selfish reasons just to please somebody. From what I have seen, even the security is compromised because they were shooting at me directly. The DC operations was shooting at me,”
Describing as null and void any illegal legislative action that has been taken by some members who earlier held a plenary session, the governor said, “Let it be on record; whoever masterminded the attack at the Assembly is trying to divert attention.”
Addressing his supporters in front of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, Fubara commended youths of the state for standing up to protect the interest of the state, saying he is not scared about impeachment but such action had to be properly explained and justified.
The governor continued: “If Siminalayi Fubara is impeached, I won’t be the first; neither will I be the last. But what is important is that any attempt that is not justified will be resisted. Let them come out and tell Rivers people the offence that I have committed to warrant impeachment.
“But my happiness this morning is that the people of Rivers State, represented by every one of you here, are with us. I can go home and sleep. Let me assure Rivers people that we will continue to defend them, protect you people and ensure that they will enjoy the dividends of democracy.”
Before the eruption of the crisis, suspected arsonists on Sunday night invaded the Rivers State House of Assembly and set the main building on fire using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
The development may not be unconnected with an alleged plot to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In the meantime, the Assembly complex has been taken over by the police, with over 17 armoured vehicles and stern looking security personnel stationed around it.
Though there had been relative inactivity in the state, Fubara had earlier inaugurated 14 commissioners and assigned portfolios to them.
Just last week after much criticism from opposition political parties, the governor inaugurated additional five commissioners who were screened by the House of Assembly.
PDP Governors Hold Emergency Meeting Today
Meanwhile, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today meet in Abuja over the evolving political crisis in Rivers State.
It was learnt that governors of the party are concerned over the unfolding scenario, hence the decision to act fast in ensuring that the crisis doesn’t escalate.
The meeting is scheduled to be held under the aegis of PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, by 3pm.
A source in the PDP-GF said the meeting is not unconnected with the crisis playing out in the Rivers State involving the State governor, Fubara, and his predecessor, Wike.
Rivers State is one of the states under the control of PDP.
The PDP-GF source who pleaded not to be named told some journalists: “This emergency meeting has become imperative because we cannot afford to close our eyes while things are going wrong.
“As a Forum (PDP-GF), we must act fast to ensure that this crisis doesn’t go out of hands as such will not be to the benefit of anybody”.
The source also said the meeting will discuss the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, as well as other issues of national importance.
Clark seeks Tinubu’s intervention
Meanwhile, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has urged President Bola Tinubu to act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers State in the interest of his administration, democracy and the country.
The former federal commissioner in the first republic decried the escalating situation in the state, urging the president to call the FCT minister to order.
Clark who said had been greatly disturbed by the reported developments in Rivers State in the last 24 hours added that he was reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove the governor who has spent only about five months in office.
The elder statesman noted: “I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike. And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the state.
“Let me warn strongly; we won’t allow that to happen! President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State.”
He said burning of the chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly last night, was part of the plot to destabilise the state.
“The governor was tear-gassed and was even threatened with being shot at when he visited the Assembly Complex after the incident, to assess the level of damage. We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all”.
Save Rivers From Destabilisation, APC States Assembly Forum Urges Tinubu
Also, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) States Assembly Forum (ASAF), has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the crisis rocking the executive and legislative arms of government in Rivers State.
ASAF, in a statement issued yesterday by its director general, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, condemned what it described as “the recent toxic political developments in Rivers State centered around malicious and offensive onslaught against the government and the good people of Rivers State by conservative elements within and outside the state.”
The Forum said the unfortunate turn of events in an otherwise united political family was regrettable, insisting that the development is a huge distraction for the government at a time it should be focused on delivering good governance to the state and contributing to the urgent task of national development in our dear country, Nigeria.
2 Million Youths To Resist Impeachment Plot Against Fubara
Meanwhile, a coalition of Nigerian youth leaders across three out of the six geopolitical zones of the country has vowed to resist the Rivers state lawmakers to impeach the state governor, Fubara.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by their respective leaders. They include comrade Goodluck Ibem, president-general of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL); comrade Iniobong Sampson for South South Youth Coalition (SSYC) and Comrade Junaid Abubakar for Area Youth Vanguard for Good Governance, AYVGG).
They described the plot to impeach the Rivers governor as a “coup against democracy”, vowing to mobilise two million Nigerian Youths to resist Fubara’s impeachment explaining that “the battle to defend Gov Fubara is a battle to defend democracy”.
The youth leaders particularly condemned in strong terms the attack on the Rivers governor by the police and some operatives of other security agencies “using life-bullets, teargas, and other weapons”.
