Former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has downplayed fears of political instability in the state, asserting that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s impeachment would not cause any crisis.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Wike declared that the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly had every constitutional right to remove Fubara if he was found guilty of impeachable offenses, including allegedly withholding lawmakers’ salaries for months.
“If you have committed an offence warranting impeachment, what’s the big deal? Is it a crime? The constitution allows it,” Wike stated. “I have heard people say, ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order.’ Rubbish! Nothing will happen.”
He further criticized Fubara’s recent letter to the Assembly, dismissing it as inadequate and ineffective.
This comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s February 28, 2025, ruling, which dismissed Fubara’s appeal challenging the legitimacy of the Amaewhule-led Assembly. The court ordered the lawmakers to resume sitting immediately and barred financial institutions from disbursing funds to the Rivers State Government until the Assembly was reconstituted in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution.
The Supreme Court also invalidated the October 2024 local government elections in the state, further intensifying the ongoing political battle.
With tensions rising, Wike’s statement signals his firm stance on the matter, setting the stage for the next chapter in Rivers State’s unfolding political drama.
