The immediate-past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, says heaven will not fall if the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly impeaches his successor Siminalayi Fubara. Channels reports.
At a media parley in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said there is nothing wrong if the lawmakers decide to sack Fubara for alleged impeachable offences including withholding their salaries for months.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) powerbroker said, “If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. Am I a member of the Assembly?
“If you have committed an infraction of the constitution and the Assembly deems it fit to say, you should be impeached.
“I have heard people say: ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order’. Rubbish! Nothing will happen.”
Wike said if the Amaewhule-led House wasn’t disposed to peace, the Assembly would have gone on a six-month recess after the Supreme Court verdict. He rubbished the letter written to the Assembly by Fubara, saying he should have done better.
On Friday, February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court handed a raft of decisions on the protracted political situation in the oil-rich South-South state.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-man panel of the court unanimously dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Fubara challenging the validity of the House of Assembly presided over by Amaewhule as the Speaker.
In dismissing Fubara’s appeal, the court ordered Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with other elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The apex court barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other agencies from releasing funds to the Government of Rivers State until it purges itself of what the court described as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
Also, the apex court declared the local government election conducted in the state on October 5, 2024, as invalid.
Fubara subsequently said he would fully implement the judgments of the apex court and directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to come up with modalities for the fresh election.
The electoral commission fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh local government poll in the state. The Assembly later issued an arrest warrant against RSIEC Chief, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), over failure to appear before the House.
Furthermore, the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, in a letter dated March 7, 2025, sought a meeting with the lawmakers for March 10, 2025 to discuss the re-presentation of the 2025 budget and a peace talk but the Assembly asked the governor to channel his invitation properly.
