Rivers State APC Directs Impeachment Process Against Governor Fubara

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has issued a directive to its State House of Assembly members led by Martin Amaewhule to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Speaking at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, the caretaker committee Chairman of the party, Tony Okocha, emphasized the need for the Assembly members to take action following the governor’s recent assertion that they no longer held legal standing.

Okocha criticized Fubara’s declaration, stating that there is no constitutional provision empowering the governor to nullify the Assembly members’ legitimacy.

The APC chairman lambasted the Fubara administration, labeling it as clueless and unfit to govern the state, citing alleged financial mismanagement as a key concern.

Highlighting what he perceived as failures of the current administration, Okocha specifically pointed to the misappropriation of funds, claiming a misuse of one hundred and fifty million Naira per local government area.

Citing the need to uphold the rule of law and address what he sees as executive overreach, Okocha called on APC Assembly members who recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to commence the impeachment process against Governor Fubara.

He warned that failure to act would result in invoking party discipline measures against the lawmakers and vowed to prevent Rivers State from becoming a subject of ridicule.

In response to the APC’s directive, the State Commissioner for Information, Joe Johnson, dismissed Okocha’s authority to issue such instructions, citing a lack of legitimacy given Okocha’s interim leadership role.

Johnson referenced a constitutional provision, Section 109(1g) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he claimed rendered the Assembly members who switched parties ineligible to hold office.

The commissioner defended Governor Fubara’s position, asserting that the administration was within its rights to consider the defected lawmakers as having vacated their seats.

He further criticized the internal leadership dispute within the APC, pointing to a lack of consensus on who holds the legitimate authority within the party structure.