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Rivers Govt Downplays Impeachment Moves, Denies Formal Communications from Assembly

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1 year ago

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The Rivers State government has downplayed the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, insisting that there is no formal communication from the state House of Assembly regarding allegations of gross misconduct.

The assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule and dominated by 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, issued a notice dated March 14, outlining allegations against Fubara and Odu.

The letter, signed by 26 lawmakers, accused the governor of reckless expenditure, obstructing the assembly, and making appointments without legislative approval, among other claims.

On Monday, Speaker Amaewhule announced the formal transmission of the notice to the governor and his deputy, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that impeachment allegations be signed by at least one-third of house members.

He also directed Fubara and Odu to respond to the allegations within the stipulated period of 14 days.

However, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Barrister Joseph Johnson, dismissed the move, stating that the letter was not addressed to the governor.

Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, he criticised the assembly for obstructing Fubara’s efforts to implement the Supreme Court’s recent judgement on the state’s prolonged political crisis.

Johnson added that the assembly’s actions were worsening the hardship faced by civil servants and pensioners due to the seized state allocation.

He noted that Fubara had demonstrated his commitment to obeying the court’s decision by directing local government chairmen to hand over to their administrative heads.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had also scheduled fresh elections for August 9, 2025, in compliance with the ruling.

This is the second impeachment attempt against the governor.

The first attempt to impeach Governor Fubara occurred on October 30, 2023.24 members of the Assembly had initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor, leading to significant unrest, including the burning of sections of the assembly complex and the eventual demolition of the complex.

Governor Fubara claimed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt involving police gunfire during these events.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the assembly has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Tammy Danagogo, over allegations of extra-budgetary spending.

The lawmakers also called on the EFCC to probe financial misconduct allegedly linked to Danagogo.

Their move followed allegations by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who accused the SSG of engineering the state’s political turmoil, including securing a court order barring Fubara from recognising the 27 lawmakers.

Reacting to the impeachment move, Abeni Mohammed (SAN) stated that removing a governor and deputy is a constitutional process that must be strictly followed.

“They must go through the State’s Chief Judge, who will set up a panel to determine whether the allegations constitute an impeachable offence.

The findings will then be returned to the Assembly before proceedings can commence,” he explained.

Mohammed added that Governor Fubara is unlikely to remain passive, given that the lawmakers have also breached the constitution by refusing to sit and adjourning indefinitely.

“The governor can challenge them in court to restrain any impeachment proceedings. Impeachment is a legal matter, and lawmakers must ensure they have not committed constitutional violations themselves. Let them serve the notice, and I am sure the governor’s lawyers know how to respond,” he said.

He also criticised the Supreme Court for interfering in an issue before the High Court, particularly regarding the status of the 27 defected lawmakers.

“The apex court had no reason to make pronouncements on whether the lawmakers had vacated their seats, as the matter was not before them.

“Their ruling emboldened the lawmakers, who themselves violated the constitution by defecting. Where and when did they sit to issue directives after indefinitely adjourning? They are playing politics at the expense of Rivers people,” he said.

Similarly, Taiye Oniyide (SAN) called for restraint, emphasising that both sides must prioritise the state’s interests over personal conflicts.

“This crisis has become unnecessarily personal. The power to impeach lies with the house, but this feud did not begin today. The entire nation is watching, and reasonable voices are urging caution,” he noted.

Oniyide further alleged that former Governor Nyesom Wike had tacitly approved the impeachment attempt through his recent comments.

“This is pure political vendetta. Unfortunately, the people of Rivers suffer the most, as critical development is stalled. Governance should not be driven by bitterness,” he said.

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LP: Appeal Court Upholds Legitimacy of Nenadi Usman’s Leadership

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19 hours ago

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April 21, 2026

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Julius Abure challenging the legitimacy of the Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the Labour Party (LP).

A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a Tuesday judgment, unanimously affirmed the January 21 judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which upheld the legitimacy of the 29-member caretaker committee of the LP, led by Senator Usman.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, which Justices Abba Mohammed and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike agreed with, the appellate court held that the earlier Supreme Court judgment conclusively settled the leadership dispute within the LP by nullifying the convention that purportedly returned Abure as National Chairman.

Justice Lifu had, in the January 21 judgment, relied on an April 4, 2025, decision of the Supreme Court, which held that Abure’s tenure as the party’s National Chairman had expired. The judgment directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Senator Usman and other members of her committee as the legitimate leaders of the party, to the exclusion of all others.

The court further held that the lower court had the power under Section 251 of the Constitution to compel a statutory Federal government agency to perform its functions when it ordered INEC to recognize Senator Nenadi Usman as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

It was equally agreed with the trial court that constituting the LP’s caretaker committee, headed by Usman, was a doctrine of necessity required to provide leadership in the party when a vacuum appeared to exist.

The court faulted Abure’s claim that the trial court denied him a fair hearing and accused him of abusing the court process.

The court also accused Abure of forum shopping by appearing before the Nasarawa State High Court in a case already decided by the Supreme Court, and of persisting in the claim the party’s leadership despite the apex court’s clear and unambiguous pronouncement.

It held that the appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026, was devoid of merit and constituted an abuse of court process.

“On the whole, I agree with the decision and conclusion of the trial court as the same, being in accordance with the Constitution,” Justice Oyewumi held, adding that the lower court reached a reasonable conclusion that the Court of Appeal cannot fault.

While dismissing the appeal, the court awarded him costs of N10 million for wasting the court’s time on an issue that had already been conclusively determined.

Earlier, the court held that Nenadi Usman, as a juristic person, had the right to file the case before the trial court, and that the trial court had jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.

The court also rejected Abure’s allegation that the lower court denied him a fair hearing, noting that the claim lacked any basis.

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Tinubu Sacks Edun, Appoints Oyedele As Finance Minister

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19 hours ago

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April 21, 2026

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President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor cabinet reshuffle in the membership of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

According to a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, two cabinet members, Mr. Wale Edun and Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa are to leave the cabinet while their replacements have been named.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, on Tuesday evening, said Edun, until the latest development, was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy.

“He has been directed to hand over to Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, who is now to take over as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Oyedele was formerly a Minister of State in the ministry.

“Also Mr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma (PhD.) has been named as the ministerial nominee and minister-designate for the Housing and Urban Development Ministry,” Odunuga stated.

The memo also directed Dangiwa to hand over to the Minister of State in the ministry pending Darma’s confirmation.

The memo stated that “all handing over and taking over processes should be completed on or before close of business on Thursday 23rd April, 2026.”

Explaining the President’s decision, Odunuga quoted Akume as saying: “These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

He said the President, in approving the cabinet reshuffle, has fully exercised his powers as conferred on him by Sections 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).

The President thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the nation while wishing them the best in all their future endeavours.

The President, Akume noted, equally assured all cabinet members that “the process of reinvigoration shall be continuous.”

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Alleged Coup Plotters Get April 22 Date for Trial, Slammed with 13-Count Charge

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23 hours ago

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April 21, 2026

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The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three others over an alleged coup plot and acts of terrorism.

The alleged coup plotters, are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow (Wednesday), April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Those named in the charge are Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.

Also listed as a defendant, but said to be at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

The charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, accuses the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

At the centre of the case is an allegation that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state.

According to the charge, they “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

The prosecution further alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to alert authorities.

The charge stated that they, “knowing that and intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer.”

In another count, the defendants were accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”

Beyond treason, the Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The charge alleged that they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Particularly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are accused of participating in meetings linked to terrorist activities.

Prosecutors claim they acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The charge also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.

In addition, the prosecution alleged a deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism but failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable.”

The case further traced financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing, with multiple defendants accused of handling proceeds of unlawful activities.
Bukar Kashim Goni is alleged to have “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing,” while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2 million from a similar source.

Zekeri Umoru, according to the charge, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000,” and also retained an additional N8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.

Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of N1 million linked to the same alleged scheme.

All financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The 13-count charge presents what prosecutors describe as a coordinated network involving security personnel, civilians, and a politically exposed individual, allegedly connected to activities threatening national security.

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