The Ijaw National Congress has rejected moves to impeach Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, warning that the process lacks public support and is driven by personal interests rather than constitutional necessity.
The group, alongside the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council, condemned the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly for initiating impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, describing the action as politically motivated and destabilising.
Speaking in a telephone interview, INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said the impeachment effort would ultimately fail, noting that it had triggered widespread opposition within and outside the state. “It is obvious that this is a clear case of vendetta using impeachment as an instrument,” he said. “This has nothing to do with democracy or development. It is about personal interest placed above the interest of Rivers State.”
Okaba criticised lawmakers of Ijaw extraction who openly supported the impeachment, insisting they did not represent the views of the Ijaw people. “They have not consulted their constituents, and they lack Ijaw consciousness,” he said, adding that their shifting positions exposed a lack of principle.
He also accused some lawmakers of benefitting materially while pursuing impeachment, alleging that vehicles worth about ₦350 million were distributed during a period of suspension. “That so-called Greek gift was collected openly, and no one has denied it. It further shows this process is about self-interest,” Okaba said.
Supporting the INC’s position, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council, Anabs Sara-Igbe, said the impeachment attempt was an embarrassment to both the state and President Bola Tinubu. “They are not fighting Sim Fubara; they are fighting Rivers people and stalling development,” he said.
Sara-Igbe warned that the impeachment could deepen political instability in the state, insisting it would collapse once due process runs its course. “The impeachment will hit the rocks. Rivers people are tired of these tricks,” he said, adding that continued agitation could trigger wider unrest in the state and the Niger Delta region.
