- APC Asks Assembly To Resume Impeachment Proceedings Against Fubara
It appears that the fragile peace brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into the political crisis that is rocking the oil rich state of Rivers State has finally broken down irretrievably like a pack of badly arranged packs of cards.
The Matrix reports that President Tinubu had on December 18, 2023 brokered an eight-point peace deal between governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara and his political godfather and predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after the duo fell out with each other.
However, recent events seem to suggest that the peace deal might have broken down.
Recently, two high ranking members of Fubara’s cabinet resigned from the governor’s cabinet.
And, just yesterday, the Rivers State chapter of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) demanded that members of the House of Assembly resume impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
They made their demand known during a Press Conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the party’s caretaker Chairman, Tony Okocha, said the party will not sit back and watch the governor insult President Tinubu.
READ ALSO: Rivers Of Crisis: Again, Wike’s Loyalist Resigns From Fubara’s Cabinet
He further threatened that if the Assembly members failed to restart the impeachment proceedings against the governor, he would invoke Party discipline upon them.
“It’ll be foolhardy for us to sit down and see someone way less than Mr President insult him under our very nose.
“It is also an (sic) absurd(ity) to see the governor espouse impunity and intimidation on a people who are members of our political party, and we stand akimbo doing nothing.”
Speaking further, Mr Okocha said, “As representatives of Mr President we won’t sit here and see the governor insult the President. We won’t sit here to see the governor declare on his own as if he’s a court to declare Assembly members’ seats vacant.”
He further threatened that if the Assembly members fail to restart the impeachment proceedings against the Governor he would invoke Party discipline upon them.
“To that extent, in consultation with my Party, we are directing APC members who are in the Assembly to immediately commence the impeachment of Governor Sim Fubara.
“And if they don’t do that, there’s what they call Party discipline, and we shall invoke that section of the Constitution and deal decisively with them,” he stated.
Fubara had on Monday criticised the attitude of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly towards his administration, saying the members will cease to exist as legislators if he so decides.
READ ALSO: Atiku, Wike Finally Meet At PDP National Caucus Meeting Ahead Of NEC Meeting Today
He said the lawmakers are existing based on his recognition predicated on the Peace Accord initiated by President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “Those groups of men who claim that they are Assembly members are not Assembly members, they are not existing. I want it to be on record. I accepted the Peace Accord to give them a floating home. That is the truth. There was nothing in that Peace Accord that’s a constitutional issue; it’s a political solution to a problem. And I accepted it because these were people that were eating in my house, these were people I had helped pay their children’s school fees when I wasn’t even a governor. So, what is the thing there?
READ ALSO: Rivers Of Crisis: Again, Wike’s Loyalist Resigns From Fubara’s Cabinet
“We might have our division but I believe that one day, we could also come together but it has gotten to a time when I have to make a statement that they are not existing. Their existence is me allowing them to exist. If I de-recognise them, they are nowhere. I want you to see the sacrifice I have made in allowing peace to reign in our state.”
