By Governor Siminalayi Fubara, calling it a desperate attempt by pro-Wike lawmakers to avoid the state’s 2025 budget presentation. The coalition dismissed the notice of alleged misconduct against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, as invalid and politically motivated.
The impeachment notice, served by the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday, comes amid escalating tensions between the governor and lawmakers over the budget. Governor Fubara had written to Speaker Martins Amaewhule on March 13, 2025, requesting to present the budget on March 19. However, the lawmakers, allegedly aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, have been accused of deliberately stalling the process.
Reacting to the situation, opposition spokesperson Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere urged Rivers residents to ignore the lawmakers’ actions, labeling them as a scheme to create chaos in the state. He accused them of attempting an “illegal impeachment move” to shift focus from their refusal to accept the budget.
The coalition maintained that there was a court order preventing any impeachment proceedings against Fubara, rendering the lawmakers’ actions baseless. “They suffered Rivers State up to the Supreme Court over the budget, and when they won, the governor complied and presented it. Yet, they ran away, proving their real agenda is to make Rivers people suffer,” the statement read.
Ugochinyere further accused the lawmakers of fabricating allegations against the Chief Judge in a bid to pressure him into supporting their agenda. He described their actions as a failed plot to undermine the state judiciary. “They suddenly woke up from recess to fabricate imaginary offences, all in a desperate attempt to install a speaker as governor,” he added.
Calling the impeachment plot “dead on arrival,” the coalition reassured Rivers residents that Fubara remains in office and urged them to carry on with their daily activities, dismissing the lawmakers’ actions as political blackmail.
