James Adamu
The political standoff in Rivers State took a dramatic turn on Monday as two key members of the State House of Assembly, previously aligned with the camp of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, publicly withdrew their support for the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The move signaling the first major fracture within the pro-impeachment bloc, Hon. Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuma) and Hon. Peter Abbey (Degema) appealed to their colleagues to abandon the impeachment proceedings and seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Spear News Nigeria reports that the Rivers State Assembly initiated a fresh impeachment move last week against Governor Simi Fubara and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct and other constitutional breaches. This newspaper later obtained a copy of the impeachment notice served to the Governor, with the process set to commence this week.
The lawmakers’ backtrack came on the same day that prominent South-South leaders, under the aegis of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), inaugurated a high-powered Peace and Reconciliation Committee to mediate in the escalating feud.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Nwankwo, who serves as the Minority Leader, stated that the Assembly’s issuance of an impeachment notice had prompted “deep reflection and wide consultations.”
“We have called this press conference to appeal to our colleagues to temper justice with mercy and to see how this matter can be resolved outside the impeachment proceedings,” Nwankwo said.
He revealed that the decision to step back was influenced by numerous pleas from elders and leaders within and outside Rivers State, calling for restraint and reconciliation.
“We are appealing to the conscience of our colleagues. Having listened to so many calls from our leaders begging for leniency, we, too, are calling on our colleagues to reconsider their steps,” he added.
His colleague, Hon. Peter Abbey, echoed the sentiment, stressing a desire to prevent further political tension. “Yes, the governor may have infringed on parts of the constitution, but we are human beings… We want to plead with our colleagues to, please, reconsider,” Abbey stated.
He hinted that any amicable settlement would require reciprocal commitment from the governor to avoid further constitutional breaches.
Simultaneously in Abuja, concerned leaders from the Niger Delta region moved to formally intervene. PANDEF inaugurated a seven-member Peace and Reconciliation Committee chaired by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN).
The committee, which includes other dignitaries like former Senator Domingo Obende and ex-Minister Essien Nduese, was given a two-week mandate to broker peace. The move underscores deep-seated regional anxiety that the political instability could undermine governance and economic security in the oil-rich state.
PANDEF’s National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, expressed confidence that both Minister Wike and Governor Fubara, as members of the forum, would respect the committee’s intervention.
In his acceptance speech, Agabi described the assignment as a “solemn national duty.” He appealed for wisdom, restraint, and humility from all actors, warning against a destructive political confrontation.
“We cannot afford to stand by and do nothing as Rivers State, whose talents and resources continue to bless this nation, grapples with issues of political power,” Agabi stated.
He used a pointed analogy, cautioning that the principal actors should not be like “the clam and the oyster that fought on the seashore until both were picked up and consumed by a fisherman.”
Adding to the chorus of concern, a group of Nigerian professionals in the diaspora, the Nigerian Diaspora Professionals for Democratic Stability (NDPDS), condemned the impeachment move. In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Chukwudi Nnamani, the group warned that the process was being “weaponised as a tool of supremacy” by political godfathers and threatened democratic order in the state.
“The impeachment threats against Governor Fubara have become cyclical, predictable and politically motivated,” the statement read. “It is impossible to ignore the context. The House of Assembly has been deeply polarised, with legislative actions reflecting allegiance to external political authority rather than the electorate.”
In a separate development, the Nigerian Army raised an alarm over what it termed the “deliberate misrepresentation” of remarks made by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, during a visit to troops in Port Harcourt. The Army, in a statement by acting Director of Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, denied a report claiming the COAS had raised an alarm over rising pipeline vandalism, calling it “misleading, malicious, and entirely false.”
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