Rivers Crisis: Opposition lawmakers vow to resist plot to impeach Fubara

A coalition of opposition lawmakers has vowed to resist an alleged subterranean plot by the Rivers State House of Assembly members loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

At a press conference addressed by their spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, on Wednesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, they also raised an alarm over an alleged fresh plot by the pro-Wike group to destabilise Rivers State, undermine the PDP, interfere with the local government election, and frustrate the passage of the 2025 budget as directed by the Supreme Court.

The lawmakers also alerted Nigerians about moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly members to avoid receiving the 2025 budget as directed by the Supreme Court and to criminally amend LGA laws to stop the LGA election, stating that their actions will not stop governance.

According to them, the pro-Wike lawmakers plan to amend the LGA law to frustrate the conduct of the election, allowing former local government chairmen, whose tenure has expired, to return.

The coalition assured the people of Rivers State that the election will hold as scheduled by the electoral bodies, vowing that no illegal amendment will stop the conduct of the elections.

They further alleged a plot to stop the main opposition, PDP, from holding its convention and thereby prevent it from entering a merger to produce a presidential candidate.

While commending Governor Siminalayi Fubara for adhering to the Supreme Court judgment despite provocation and the betrayal of the peace accord by Wike, the lawmakers thanked Nigerians who have stood in defense of democracy, urging them to remain courageous in all
issues for the advancement of democracy.

The coalition said, “It’s time for people to continue to stand firm. We are almost at the end, and that’s why you see more frustrations and more ranting—because the people are rising. We are happy to see that NWC members are rising, and our governors are rising to end this madness of political children who have been spoiled without resistance.

“Let me at this juncture commend one of the members of the opposition family, the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara. Despite the fact that the whole world knows that the pro-Wike lawmakers lost their seats when they decamped—everyone saw it—but the Supreme Court, in its judgment, said Governor Fubara should recognise these lawmakers who decamped from the party they were elected under.

“Not everybody will have the courage or spirit of peace like Fubara. He surprised most of us. As a democrat, he accepted that judgment wholeheartedly and started implementing it immediately.

“The interest of Nyesom Wike is not about peace or progress—it’s about control. As long as he’s not the one controlling the state, nothing should be done. So all these litigations about local government or Assembly members are just decoys to help him achieve his agenda, which is crisis.

“An election has been fixed for August 9th. While the indigenes are preparing for elections that the Supreme Court ordered to be reconducted, the Wike group is running around looking for an injunction to stop the election—just like they did before when they ran around to amend the local government law to frustrate the election.

“He’s now running around again, saying that those former chairmen whose tenure has expired should come back. Just look at this madness! He wants to control the structure of governance.

“The election will hold, but it’s important that I alert you that they are running to court again, looking for an injunction to stop a legitimate election that the Supreme Court ordered. They are secretly working to amend the local government law in the middle of the election to bring back former local government chairmen who left years ago.

“We commend Governor Fubara for complying with the court judgment regarding the budget presentation. He reached out to House of Assembly members to come for a meeting—something that Wike would not do. He called them to a meeting to find solutions to move forward, but they boycotted the meeting and refused to attend. Who are they?! The state will not burn, and we won’t allow them to destabilise a state that belongs to our party.

“The Governor again wrote a letter for the presentation of the Rivers State 2025 budget. It was delivered to them. He called the Speaker on the phone several times, but he didn’t pick up. That tells you the mindset of these people—all they want is anarchy; they want Rivers’ people to suffer.

“Wike has been the aggressor from day one. We salute Governor Fubara for his humility, ensuring that despite provocation, he continues to run the wheel of governance over the last four days.”