The call by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Rivers State House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara has been strongly criticized by the Rivers State Government.
According to Joseph Johnson, the Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, the 27 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly do not have the moral authority to impeach the governor.
The commissioner cautioned the APC lawmakers, aligned with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Nyesom Wike, against pursuing such action, emphasizing that any effort to impeach the governor will be met with resistance from the people of Rivers.
NewsNow had reported that Tony Okocha, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, urged the State Assembly during a press conference in Port Harcourt to immediately begin the impeachment process against the governor.
Okocha argued that the impeachment was necessary because the governor had “insulted the sensibility” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who intervened to resolve the ongoing crisis in the state.
In a swift response, the Information and Communications Commissioner stated that Okocha was not a legitimate APC member and therefore lacked the moral grounds to comment on the state government.
He warned that attempting to impeach the governor would be met with strong opposition from the people of Rivers, asserting that such moves would be vigorously resisted.
He emphasized, “The journey will not be easy. They should not even contemplate it because the people of Rivers will push back. Their attempt lacks legitimacy; they are merely fighting for self-preservation without any legal foundation.”
“They lack the standing to proceed. They should not even consider it as Section 109(g) settles the matter. If an Assembly member defects from the party that elected them, they automatically lose their seat. They have done so, and it is settled. Our Constitution is the supreme law.”
“The Supreme Court has already ruled on this matter. There is a valid judgment in place; there is no need for further deliberation on recognizing them as Assembly members. The Supreme Court has already declared those seats vacant.”
“Tony Okocha was recently denounced as an APC member by former party chairman, Sokonte Davies. He operates as a factional chairman. We await a similar statement from Chief Emeka Beke’s faction. Okocha’s stance is weak and his call for impeachment is futile. Their attempts will fail. These lawmakers do not hold any legal standing and are non-existent in the eyes of the law.”