Former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that nothing unusual would occur if the Rivers State House of Assembly moves to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking at a media parley in Abuja, Wike described impeachment as a constitutional process, not a criminal act, adding that if the governor has committed impeachable offenses, the legislature is within its rights to act.
“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?” Wike asked rhetorically.
Dismissing fears that such action could trigger unrest in the state, Wike said, “I have heard people say: ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order’. Rubbish! Nothing will happen.”
Wike also advised Governor Fubara to submit the 2025 budget and the list of commissioner nominees, stressing that peace can only be attained when due process is followed.
“What is peace? What is more important than letting the right thing be done? When the right thing is done, there will be peace. But if the right thing is not done, how can you talk about peace? Go present the budget; go submit the list of the commissioners,” he stated.
The FCT Minister further accused Fubara of causing the destruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, forcing lawmakers to hold plenaries in private residences.
“He brought the Assembly complex down. Assembly now sits in their residences. If you are coming, they have children; they have to prepare themselves. You cannot just go and then open the gate saying, ‘I’m coming to present the budget.’ Nonsense, rubbish, who is doing that? Playing to the gallery,” he said.
Wike also dismissed the Rivers State government’s plan to hold local government elections on August 27, 2025. He expressed a lack of confidence in the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), accusing him of lacking credibility and defying the authority of the Assembly.
“He rushed to court instead of responding to the Assembly’s summons. Is that how democracy works?” Wike queried.
Though he admitted appointing Enebeli during his tenure as governor, Wike maintained that the planned LG elections under his leadership would not succeed.
Amid speculations about a possible defection, Wike reaffirmed his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that he is not one to abandon a political platform because of challenges.
“I don’t run away from a fight. I will not leave the PDP,” he declared firmly.
The minister’s remarks are the latest in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, which has deepened the divide between loyalists of Wike and supporters of Governor Fubara.
