The Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council have warned against the ongoing impeachment move against Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing it as politically motivated and unlikely to succeed.
The groups, according to The Punch, accused members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike of pursuing personal ambitions under the guise of constitutional procedure.
Speaking in a telephone interview, INC president Benjamin Okaba said there was widespread opposition to the impeachment both within and outside the state, adding that the process amounted to a vendetta rather than democratic accountability.
Okaba criticised lawmakers of Ijaw extraction who have publicly supported the impeachment, saying they do not speak for the Ijaw people and failed to consult their constituents before taking such a position.
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He also questioned the credibility of four lawmakers who initially withdrew from the impeachment process but later reversed their decision, describing the move as a sign of inconsistency and lack of principle.
The INC president further alleged that lawmakers pushing the impeachment had benefited materially while pursuing the process, accusing the Assembly leadership of prioritising self-interest over governance.
He said the inclusion of Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu in the impeachment proceedings was unjustified, noting that no clear wrongdoing had been attributed to her.
Also reacting, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council and a former spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, described the impeachment move as embarrassing to Rivers people and to President Bola Tinubu.
Sara-Igbe said the lawmakers were not fighting Governor Fubara but undermining the collective interest of the state, warning that the process could stall development and deepen political instability.
He challenged the Assembly to publish any agreement the governor was accused of violating, insisting that Rivers people deserved transparency.
Both groups warned that pushing ahead with the impeachment could destabilise Rivers State and the wider Niger Delta region.
