The Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the political family of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, have risen against the move by the state House of Assembly to remove the governor.
Also, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) expressed dissatisfaction over the lingering disagreements between Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
The Assembly on Thursday issued notice of allegations and gross misconduct to the governor and his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and gave them seven days to file their responses.
The impeachment rekindled the political crisis in the oil-rich state, which many people thought had ended after the state of emergency that lasted for six months.
The INC, in a statement signed by its President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, condemned the impeachment move, describing it as a grave threat to democracy, peace, and stability in Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.
“This is the third of such attempts since 2023, revealing a relentless cycle of political vendetta that must be broken.
We stand firmly with the people of Rivers State and all defenders of constitutional order in rejecting this dangerous gambit,” Okaba said.
He said the INC framed the crisis not merely as an Ijaw issue, but as a fundamental test for and threat to the country’s democracy, insisting that “it is not a matter of the Ijaw nation but of democracy”.
Okaba said, “The allegations presented by the Assembly, including matters of budgetary spending and gubernatorial appointments, are governance issues that can and must be resolved within the framework of law and due process, not through the weaponization of impeachment.
“This impeachment threat, no doubt, follows the collapse of a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025, aimed at resolving the feud between Governor Fubara and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“The Assembly’s notice cites Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. However, the speed and context of this process raise questions about its adherence to the spirit of fairness and its use as a political tool rather than a genuine check on executive power.
“The INC’s stance is also echoed by persons across the political spectrum, including within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, who have also called for the impeachment to be dropped.”
Okaba called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act decisively as the father of the nation, appealing to the President to uphold constitutional democracy by using his authority and office to defend the constitutional order in Rivers.
He urged the President to ensure absolute neutrality and fairness, adding that the peace and economic stability of the Niger Delta hinged on the federal government being perceived as an honest broker.
Okaba called on the President to curb all agents of instability and safeguard federal allocations to Rivers.
He said, “In this tense period, the INC urges and strongly advises all Ijaw people and residents of Rivers State to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and resolute. Do not be provoked into any action that could lead to violence or the destruction of property.
Okaba urged the stakeholders to stand for democratic principles by channeling their energies into peaceful civic engagement, support lawful advocacy and defend democratic institutions.
He said, “The legitimate development projects initiated by the state government must not be sacrificed on the altar of politics. We encourage all stakeholders to return to the path of genuine dialogue. The previous suspensions and state of emergency have not yielded lasting peace. Only an inclusive, good-faith dialogue can secure a sustainable future for the state.
Okaba rallied Ijaw people across the world to defend what he described as brotherhood in Rivers State and elsewhere in similar circumstances.
He said, “Ijaws and other ethnic nationalities and lovers of democracy globally must rise to the occasion now in defence of the Right of the PEOPLE, to good governance, orderliness and peaceful coexistence.
“The INC does passionately appeal and advise both the executive and the legistative arms of government in Rivers State to work together amicably and peacefully in the overall interest of the Masses in the State, who are, indeed, entitled to peace and development, and not self-destruction or anarchy
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will take all legitimate and constitutional steps necessary to ensure that the rights of the Ijaw people and all citizens of Rivers State are protected, and that democracy prevails over impunity.”
On Friday, Fubara’s political family under the auspices of the Supreme Council for Sim (SCS) condemned the impeachment move, saying it was illegal.
Speaking after an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, the leader of the group, Amb. Oji Ngofa, insisted that the move was unconstitutional and that the reasons adduced for it lacked a constitutional basis.
Ngofa said, “Supreme Council for Sim outrightly rejects and condemns the purported impeachment move against the governor of Rivers State. We think that the move is unconstitutional and the reasons they have adduced for the impeachment have no legal basis.
“We all know that the governor transmitted the budget to the National Assembly which the fiscal life is still on. The Constitution allows for six months of grace into the New Year. We don’t understand why impeachment was raised against the governor on the basis of the budget. It amounts to playing dangerous politics with the destiny of the Rivers people.
“This state belongs to everyone, and as a group we have resolved today to resist any attempt to continue to take Rivers for a ride. The state belongs to everyone. We have the right to our collective patrimony as Rivers people.
“We feel that what is going on has continued long enough and continues to insult the sensibilities of the people. We are not seeing any expression of the interest of Rivers men in what they are doing. What we are seeing is the attempt to appropriate our collective resources for self-aggrandizement.
“The state wants to live in peace. We have analysed all the issues, and we believe the impeachment move is illegal. Members of the APC in the assembly have no right to endorse the move when they have not consulted internally to solve the problem.
“I am calling on our party to begin to take punitive measures against those APC lawmakers who endorsed the move. We will stand by the governor because we believe that the direction of Wike’s politics is not in the interest of Rivers people. They have not added any legislative value to the Rivers people.”
