…Fubara silent as coalition calls for Wike’s removal
The political crisis in Rivers State took a new dimension on Thursday as the House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh.
At a plenary session presided over by Martins Amaewhule, speaker, on Thursday, Major Jack, the majority leader, formally presented a notice of allegations and gross misconduct against the governor. The notice, endorsed by 26 lawmakers, accused Fubara of actions alleged to be in violation of the Nigerian constitution.
Amaewhule said the notice would be served on the governor within the next seven days, in line with legislative procedure.
Also, Linda Stewart, deputy majority leader, read a separate notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Ngozi Oduh, deputy governor, marking the formal commencement of impeachment proceedings against both officials.
Read also:Impeachment: Fubara, threat to democracy Amaewhule
Fubara was yet to make public comments as at press time on Thursday.
Rivers APC faction condemns move
But this did not augur well with an All Progressives Congress (APC) faction in Rivers State led by Emeka Beke, who asked the state House of Assembly to resist any attempt to ‘destabilise’ the Siminalayi Fubara-led government.
In a statement on Thursday signed by Darlington Nwauju, spokesperson of the faction, the group said it ‘solemnly’ rejects “the resort to an impeachment process against our governor and his deputy.”
He described the crisis as a hangover from strife that occurred within the PDP, stressing that it should not be allowed to resurface in the APC.
The party recalled that during the period of emergency rule, an appropriation bill was transmitted to the National Assembly in May 2025.
The faction said the budget, which totalled N1.485 trillion, was approved by the Senate on June 25, 2025, and by the House of Representatives on July 22, 2025.
He said the budget was designed to run for one year until August 2026, stressing that if the governor was comfortable with the composition of the budget, he could decide not to present a supplementary budget.
He noted that the constitution allows a six-month spending window into a new fiscal year by a state governor, urging members of the Rivers state House of Assembly, especially those from the party, to resist pressures from “outside the assembly chambers to destabilise the government of Rivers State.”
He further said that the party would do everything possible to ensure that the government of Rivers state, which is an APC government, “is not destabilised through fratricidal disagreements.”
Coalition wants Wike removed as FCT minister
Similarly, a coalition of leaders within the APC, operating under the APC Leaders Forum (ALF) and the Tinubu/Shettima Solidarity Movement (TSSM), has called for the immediate removal of Nyesom Wike as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alleging insubordination, anti-party activities, and threats to national unity.
In the open letter dated January 7, 2026, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu through the Nentawe Yilwatda, APC national chairman, the groups accused Wike of actions that are incompatible with his continued stay in the cabinet of an APC-led government.
The signatories – Emeka Okoro, Dr. Adekunle Balogun, Ibrahim Yusuf, and Abdulkareem Isiaka – said they are loyal supporters of President Tinubu, bemoaning what they described as the ‘egregious misconduct’ of the former Rivers State governor, warning that silence could endanger party unity and national stability.
Read also: Wike accuses Fubara of denying 10,000 Rivers youths employment into civil service
“Wike’s ongoing vendetta against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, our duly elected APC Governor in Rivers State, is nothing short of political sabotage,” the group said.
“He has repeatedly mocked Fubara’s leadership, called his emergence a ‘mistake’ to be corrected in 2027, and accused him of betrayal and incompetence. These attacks have escalated in recent weeks, with Wike touring local governments to incite division and undermine Fubara’s administration.”
“As a serving minister in an APC-led government, Wike’s actions amount to anti-party activities that weaken our hold on Rivers State—a key battleground for the APC’s future electoral success. How can we trust a man who actively works against our own governor while enjoying the privileges of your administration?” the group asked.
