The political crisis rocking Rivers State is gradually creeping to a tipping point as the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has issued a standing order to the 27 APC members in the House of Assembly to immediately commence an impeachment process on Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Meanwhile, the state government has lambasted the APC over its call on the state House of Assembly to immediately commence an impeachment process against the state governor.
In another development, despite the political crisis in the state, Governor Fubara is set to commission a series of massive projects in the state to mark his first anniversary as governor of the state.
APC said the impeachment process was necessary given the governor’s blatant refusal to honour the peace agreement initiated by President Bola Tinubu between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, some months ago and his recent declaration of the lawmakers’ seats vacant.
Recall that on Monday, Fubara had declared, for the first time since the commencement of the crisis, that the APC lawmakers do not exist in the eyes of the law.
In his reaction, the caretaker committee chairman of the Rivers State APC, Chief Tony Okocha, who addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the statement of the governor was tantamount to re-writing the constitution of Nigeria.
He said: “He has re-written the books. Elementary politics taught us there are three organs of government and their roles. And goes further to talk about the separation of powers and checks and balances.
“What the governor was implying clearly is that he is ruling Rivers State without laws. That Rivers State runs an executive arm and judiciary. So, what that implies is simply absurdity.
“You can now see the tendencies of a dictator. As an opposition party in Rivers State, we will not keep quiet, we will shout. Regrettably, the governor has taken up to this point and we will not take it.
“The governor said that the President’s intervention in Rivers State which he signed was not constitutional but a political solution. But he assented to it, not under duress. The agreement was signed in a friendly environment and the governor assented to the proclamation and had the opportunity to speak where he thanked Mr President.
“So, nobody forced him to sign the proclamation. He did it willingly. So, at what point did the governor realise that the resolution was a political matter?”
27 lawmakers lack locus standi to impeach Fubara – Rivers government
State’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Joseph Johnson, noted that the 27 lawmakers in the state House of Assembly lacked the moral standing to impeach the siting governor of the state.
Johnson said Okocha lacked the morality to talk about the state government, noting that Okocha was not a legitimate member of the APC.
He said: “It is not going to be an easy journey. They should not imagine to embark 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 with 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.
“It says if an assembly member defects from his own party that brought him to power, he automatically loses his seat. They have done that and it is settled. Our constitution is the grand norm.
Fubara set to mark anniversary with commissioning of legacy projects
Meanwhile, revealing this much, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, SSG, who doubles as the Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, yesterday, unveiled a 20-day long programme of activities which kick start next Tuesday.
Danagogo, who briefed newsmen, said: “To mark this first anniversary, there will be a few projects to be commissioned and other activities.
“We will start on May 14, and on that day, we will be commissioning the Old Bori Road which is to serve as an alternative to the East-West Road currently under construction.
“On May 15, commissioning of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road will take place and on May 16, flag-off of the Elele-Omoku Road. On May 17, is the commissioning of Dualised Emohua-Kalabari Road.”
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