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Rivers Govt Downplays Impeachment Moves, Denies Formal Communications from Assembly
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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.
A former head coach of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen, has been appointed to lead Nigeria’s Super Falcons on a temporary basis as the search for a permanent manager continues.
His immediate assignment is navigating the 2028 Olympic Games second-round qualifying tie against Comoros this October.
Eguavoen brings top-tier experience to the role, having previously guided the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Joining the interim technical crew is Nasarawa Amazons head coach Christopher Danjuma, who recently led the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf – who earned 68 caps and featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – also joins as an assistant coach, alongside veteran goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa.
The 10-time African champions will kick off their campaign against Comoros, who advanced after a staggering 30-0 aggregate win over Sudan.
Both legs of the fixture will take place at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on October 9 and 13, 2026.
To secure one of Africa’s two spots at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Nigeria must navigate four two-legged knockout rounds.
Should they beat Comoros, the Super Falcons will move on to the third round in early 2027 to face either Morocco or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Subsequent rounds are set for late 2027, where potential clashes against sides like Cameroon, South Africa, or Zambia loom in the final stretch.
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, has accused a former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, of deliberately planning the killing of people in Southern Kaduna.
Musa made the allegation while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
The minister said El-Rufai’s administration created deep divisions in Kaduna State, alleging that the situation made it difficult for residents from Southern Kaduna to live freely in the northern part of the State and vice versa.
According to him, the administration of the current governor, Uba Sani, has made deliberate efforts to restore unity and rebuild trust among residents of the State.
“We know how it was when El-Rufai was there; it was toxic,” Musa said.
“El-Rufai did a lot of terrible things in Kaduna State. He divided the country, the State, into two. In that, if you are from the South, you cannot go to the North and live. Those ones from the North were moving to the South.
“Governor Sani within one year has been able to dissolve all that. You see, now everybody is free, everybody has a say. It’s not 100%. Let me tell you, it’s not 100%, but you can see that he’s making deliberate effort in uniting the state.”
Speaking on the feelings of people in Southern Kaduna towards the former governor, Musa said the people remained deeply pained over killings recorded in the area during El-Rufai’s tenure.
He alleged that El-Rufai deliberately planned the killing of people in the region.
“Well, I don’t know if unhappy is an issue. I think if there’s anything worse than unhappy, we can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people,” Musa said.
“I mean, when you look at it, if you look at his videos, you know, his speeches, he was very proud of what he did.
“He told us he paid bandits. He told us he did this, he did that. He didn’t hide it. He was that arrogant to come out and tell people that this was what he did.”
The Defence Minister said residents of Southern Kaduna were still traumatised by the killings that occurred during the period, adding that the security situation in the area had improved under the current administration.
“The Southern Kaduna people are still very pained. Of course, definitely. I mean, if you look at the number of killings that was done there and what is going on now, you can’t compare at all,” he said.
Musa further accused El-Rufai of denying some people opportunities during his administration and alleged that the former governor’s policies affected even people from his own part of the state.
“I can tell you what he has done to people living in Kaduna from his own area. He did a lot of things that I’m sure even him is not proud of,” he added.
The minister, however, called on Nigerians to reject politicians who exploit religion, ethnicity and other differences to divide the country.
“We should get politicians that want to unite Nigeria. For me, any individual who is using either religion, tribe, creed, or anything to divide the state can never be a friend; can never be somebody we look up to,” Musa said.
“We shouldn’t have those kind of ones in government. Anybody who is using religion or tribe or whatever to divide Nigeria is an enemy of the State.”
President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja, the nation’s capital on Sunday for Europe to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a release disclosed that Tinubu’s first stop will be London, United Kingdom.
The President is expected to return home after the working vacation to join the hectic campaign for the January 2027 election.
Vice President Kashim Shettima had earlier this month went on two-week leave, his first since the Tinubu government assumed office over three years ago. He has since returned.
