Wike: Heavens Won’t Fall If Fubara is Impeached, Gov Locked Out of Assembly
•On his way to comply with Supreme Court judgement
•PANDEF seeks win-win outcome, urges president to take definite steps to resolve crisis
Deji Elumoye, Olawale Ajimotokan, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday, scoffed at threats of consequences over purported plans to impeach Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying the sky isn’t going to fall if he is impeached.
Wike’s comments came after the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, yesterday, denied Fubara access to the Assembly premises for a re-presentation of the 2025 appropriation bill, which was ordered by the Supreme Court.
The governor said he was prevented from entering the compound, despite the fact that he had notified the Assembly of his intention to visit in view of their request that he re-presented the 2025 appropriation bill.
The relationship between the governor and the legislature, peopled mainly by Wike’s loyalists, soured early in his tenure following political disagreements with his predecessor, now FCT minister.
Things seemed to get quite bad for the governor recently after the Supreme Court reinstated the Amaewhule-led legislators.
But foremost group of elders from the oil producing region, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), asked President Bola Tinubu not to consider any party to the crisis superior.
PANDEF urged Tinubu to take decisive steps to resolve the escalating crisis, contending that a win-win outcome must be sought outside the courts.
The group urged the president to prevail on Wike and Fubara to prioritise peace and seek a lasting solution.
At the same time, Ijaw National Congress (INC) reiterated its position that if Fubara was impeached for any reason, the consequences would be too heavy for the Nigerian state to bear economically.
Urging the president to prevail on Wike and Fubara to seek an amicable resolution for the sake of peace and stability, INC said it was concerned by the prolonged political impasse in the state.
However, addressing some of the latest concerns on the Rivers crisis, Wike described PANDEF, whose members met Tinubu to try to proffer solution to the festering political crisis in the state, as an unreliable organisation made up of political merchants, only motivated by money.
Wike, who spoke on a live television interview, said if Fubara had, indeed, breached the tenets of the constitution and the House of Assembly deemed the infraction an impeachable offence, then the governor should be impeached.
He stated, “If you have committed an offence to be Impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. And let me tell you, and I have heard people say, ‘oh, if they impeach him, there’ll be breakdown’ and all that.
“Rubbish. Nonsense. Who is he? Nonsense! Tell me who are the militants? Who is not a militant? Who is born as a militant? No, tell me the person that’s born. The day you were given birth to, they say you’re a militant.
“Who is not a militant? Who cannot blow up the pipeline? Why do you arrogate this power to a certain group of people? The Ijaw people are the only people who can blow a pipeline? What nonsense is that? Who told you Ogoni people cannot break pipeline?
“Who told you Ikwerre people cannot blow up pipeline? Who told you Ekpeye people cannot blow up pipelines? Who is the one doing the contract of the pipeline? Is he not an Ijaw son? Is he not Tompolo. Is it not a Tantita? They gave you that to do surveillance.
“And the same Ijaw people are going to blow a pipeline and somebody will hear that? That’s crap. The moment I hear that, to hell. How dare you threaten a country? How dare you? The threat does not exist. These are political things planted by some people in government.
“Look, all of us know ourselves. You make an appointment of MD of NDDC, they threaten, they will blow pipeline. You make an appointment here, they threaten, they blow pipeline. What kind of country are we in?
“As a sitting president, you’re threatening me that if you follow what the court said, I will blow up everywhere. Let the whole country be blown up. People must learn. Enough is enough! You don’t tell anybody that.”
The minister warned the Ijaw ethnic group against threatening the peace in Rivers State with the threat to blow up pipelines in the event the governor, who is of Ijaw stock, was impeached, saying the Ijaw do not constitute the majority in the Niger Delta.
Wike SAID, “People must speak the truth. Heaven will not fall. You only die once, not two times. Let me say something and people should have that right: the Ijaw does not constitute the majority of the Niger Delta. Every day you wake up, Ijaw will do this.
“In Akwa Ibom, Ijaw cannot be governor. In Delta, Ijaw is minority of the minority. With all due respect to our late elder statesman, Henry Clark, he’s from Delta. He had never produced an Ijaw man to be governor of Delta. The only place Ijaw can solely be governor is Bayelsa State.
“Not in Edo, not in Rivers. It’s minority of the minorities. Out of our own benevolence, live and let’s live. If it is by strength, it cannot be the Ogonis. It cannot be the Ekpeyes. It cannot be the Ikwerres. It cannot. Every time you hear this, Ijaw said this, Ijaw just didn’t say this.
“What kind of system are we talking about? In fact, when I brought this governor, they said, he is not the real Ijaw, that if they are taking about real Ijaws, it should come to the Kalabaris, that how can you say if they want to give power to Ijaws, it should it should be the Opobo.
“You see the problem that we’re in. And you close your eyes, you did it. All those who fought me, who said, no, we cannot accept this, are the ones parading themselves, hanging around him, taking his money.”
Wike claimed PANDEF could sell people for money.
He stated, “These leaders, look at the comments they have made. Mr. President intervened in this matter. Vice President was there. National Security Adviser was there. National Security Adviser signed for implementation of peace. This same PANDEF came out and said Mr. President has no right. They took Mr. President to court.
“People like Chief Sara-Igbe, one of the worst persons you can ever think of. One of the political merchants. I know them. King Diete-Spiff, whom I respected, went to Government House. Look at the statement he made. ‘I’m an Ijaw man. You’re an Ijaw man. Call us, we’ll be with you’.
“An elder statesman would go and make such a statement? Now you are the same person coming again now to go and meet Mr. President to intervene. Intervene what? Mr. President that has no right? Mr. President that he took to court, that he has no power to intervene?
“They took Mr. President to court from the State High Court in Rivers State to the Court of Appeal, they lost. Now down to Supreme Court. Now people do things, they don’t want to go back to let people know the correct thing.
“Now, Supreme Court has given judgement, and you are going to tell the president to do what? That president should do what? That Supreme Court’s judgement should not be obeyed?”
On the drama that played out at the legislature, Fubara had alongside some of his cabinet members visited the lawmakers at the Assembly quarters along Aba Road, the temporary location for their sittings, but met a locked gate.
That followed a recent Supreme Court judgement ordering the governor to re-present the 2025 appropriation bill to the Assembly led by Amaewhule.
Tinubu had also, while addressing political leaders from the state, told Fubara to adhere to the rule of law, insisting that he must respect the court judgement for lasting peace and prosperity of the state.
Fubara had severally stated that he would implement the judgement of the Supreme Court in the interest of the state. He had also sent a letter to the Assembly leadership seeking a reconciliation meeting.
But on getting to the temporary venue for the Assembly sittings yesterday, the gate was under lock and key, with no sign of anyone in the premises to receive the governor.
Disappointed with the development, Fubara said, “I am here this morning with a few members of the Executive Council to comply with the Supreme Court judgement.
“Before my arrival I had already made several attempts with my phone calls to reach the Speaker and other House members. I also gave them a letter personally, which was transmitted to the Speaker for this particular visit.
“But it’s unfortunate that at the gate you can see that the place is completely sealed and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today.
“The reason why we are doing this, I have always said it, is in the interest of our people, which is the most important thing. Well, I don’t think there is anything to worry about, maybe they are working on the letter. I expect to hear from them very soon.”
Responding to Fubara, the lawmakers denied that they received any official communication from the governor indicating his interest to bring his appropriation bill to the floor of the House.
Spokesperson of the House and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Dr Enemi Alabo-George, described the claims of the governor as a mere comedy skit.
George recalled that on March 3, the House of Assembly wrote to the governor requesting him to bring the 2025 appropriation bill to the lawmakers following of the judgement of the Supreme Court.
“We were the ones, who immediately after that judgement appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill. We acted immediately because we have the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm.
“Despite withholding our entitlements for over a year and demolishing our chambers, we still wanted him to hasten up the presentation in the interest of the progress of Rivers.
“We indicated our intentions in that letter and even gave him a timeframe because of the urgency of the matter. To regularise his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and some boards’ membership for screening and confirmation.
“But the governor rebuffed our pleas. We sent employees of the Assembly to deliver these resolutions to him but as usual they turned them down at the gate and even brutalised them. We resorted to engaging the services of a courier company.
“He still did not heed our call forgetting that there are essential services like hospitals, schools and others to be funded. Our intention was to finish everything about the budget on March 15th so that we could send necessary information and documents to relevant agencies of the government to allow the release of Rivers allocations at the end of March. But with what he is doing, we don’t know what he wants to achieve.
“How can he turn around to claim that we blocked him from re-presenting his budget? This is the height of sincerity. We even need the budget to be passed because the governor has been owing us our entitlements for more than a year and without the budget we can’t get our entitlements.
“The governor and his team simply and deliberately acted Wednesday’s drama with a singular motive to tarnish the image of the Assembly. The governor is simply playing to the gallery to whip up unnecessary sentiments. But it has backfired because the truth has come out.”
PANDEF, while reacting to the development, described the action of the Amaewhule-led Assembly as provocative.
A chieftain of PANDEF, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, said denying the governor access to the Assembly complex was not an insult to Siminalayi Fubara as a person, but to the people of Rivers State in general.
“The Governor was elected by millions of Rivers people. As the chief executive officer of the state, he has unhindered access to all the facilities within the state. Blocking him from entering the complex is a direct insult and embarrassment to the people of Rivers State.
“It is now very clear that the governor is ready for peace. But these people are not ready for peace. You can see that by their action. How can you bar a sitting governor from gaining access to a facility that belongs to the state as a chief executive officer of that the governor continues to tow the path of peace despite the insult and provocation.
“I appeal that he implements all the decisions stipulated by the Supreme Court judgment, even though, I did not agree with some of those decisions. Let him implement them. Rivers people are watching, the world is watching,” he said.
Sara-Igbe noted that Fubara has always wanted peace, adding, “That was why on the advice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he withdrew the case he had against these lawmakers last year even when they refused to withdraw theirs.”
PANDEF Seeks Win-Win Outcome, Urges President to Take Definite Steps on Crisis
Speaking after their meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, PANDEF’s co-Chairman and the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, said, it was concerning that the crisis had persisted.
“Despite Mr. President’s fatherly intervention, the crisis persists due to conflicting and contradictory court rulings. The instability in Rivers State, a key economic hub, poses serious risks to the nation’s revenue base,” he said.
He commended Fubara for his public commitment to abide by the Supreme Court ruling but warned that tensions remained high.
He said, “We have established a High-Level Peace and Reconciliation Committee chaired by Obong Victor Attah to mediate, yet full cooperation has been elusive.”
He urged Tinubu to impress it upon all stakeholders the importance of peace, emphasising that “no party should be considered superior to the other, and a win-win outcome must be sought outside the courts.”
Beyond the Rivers crisis, PANDEF pressed for the immediate signing into law of the South-South Development Commission bill.
The group clarified that the proposed commission was distinct from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which focuses on oil-related issues beyond the South-South region.
“The NDDC serves oil-producing states across Nigeria, just like the HYPPADEC was created for hydroelectric power-producing areas. The South-South Development Commission is necessary to drive holistic regional development,” PANDEF stated.
The leaders also called on the federal government to revisit the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
They lamented that the decision displaced thousands of Nigerians and led to economic hardship for Cross River State.
“We do not wish to dwell on past mistakes, but we urge the government to mitigate the devastating impact of this decision on affected communities,” King Diete-Spiff said.
PANDEF also raised the alarm over worsening insecurity in the South-South, citing increased kidnappings, attacks, and sea piracy, and warned that criminal elements might be migrating southward due to intensified security operations in other parts of the country.
“If left unchecked, communities may resort to self-help, which could escalate tensions. We call for enhanced security measures and the urgent establishment of a Coast Guard to secure our coastal areas,” the group stated.
It decried the poor state of critical infrastructure in the region, particularly major highways and seaports and urged the federal government to prioritise the completion of key roads.
The roads, it claimed, included the East-West Road and Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road, and support the development of deep-sea ports in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Edo States.
PANDEF advocated increased local participation in the oil and gas sector, calling for more Niger Delta indigenes to be appointed to top management positions in NNPC and other industry parastatals.
“We assure the President of our continued cooperation in sustaining and enhancing oil production. However, illegal refining and oil theft must be addressed through the establishment of modular refineries and the release of the Gas Flare Penalty Fund,” the group added.
PANDEF made a renewed call for fiscal federalism, urging Tinubu to champion constitutional reforms that would grant states greater control over their resources.
“Your Excellency has long been an advocate of true federalism. This is the key reform that will propel Nigeria toward rapid and holistic development,” PANDEF emphasised.
Expressing their support for the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working with the President for national progress.
“Your success will be our collective success,” King Diete-Spiff further said.
Again, INC Warn against Fubara’s Impeachment
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has reiterated its position that if the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was impeached for any reason, the consequences of such action would be too heavy for the Nigerian state to bear economically.
This came as Ogoni group and oil communities warned against any inciting comments that could put the state on fire.
The position of the INC followed the inability of the governor to gain access to the State Assembly Complex, where he went to present the 2025 appropriation bill to the 27 lawmakers as ordered by the recent Supreme Court judgement.
INC also warned that Wike, would not push the Ikwerre and Ijaw ethnic nationalities into tribal crisis by his provocative utterances and actions in recent times.
President of INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba said he was not surprised that the 27 lawmakers acted in that “shameful way”, saying, “they are neither interested in peace or the overall interest of the Rivers people. They are there to serve the interest of their master, Wike”.
The INC President alleged that the lawmakers were behaving the way they do because it was “Wike that bought the forms that took them to the Assembly. They were handpicked by him. Wike said so publicly. That is why I am not surprised the way they act.”
Also reacting, a rights group, Ogoni Development Drive (ODD), has expressed worries over what it described as ‘political sacrilege’ that happened in the state while people were going about their duties as though everything was normal.
Convener of the group, Solomon Lenu, said “nothing is normal that a sitting governor who has control over every property both land and air in the state will come to the Assembly Complex and be shut out, is abnormal.”
He called on Rivers people to condemn the act, saying, “If this had happened in Wike’s time, there would be dead bodies everywhere. This is unfortunate. Ijaw people are keeping quiet. Wike just threw tantrums at the Ijaw people. When an Ogoni man becomes a governor, I want to see what Wike will do then.
“Then he will know that he does not have a monopoly of violence and this crass attitude. Before Wike became the governor of Rivers state, there were other governors and none of them laid claims to the state the way Wike is doing. Those people in the Assembly must urgently apologise to the governor for this shame and embarrassment they exhibited today.”
Meanwhile, oil and gas producing communities of Niger Delta has told the 27 lawmakers in the state to restrain from actions that might spark fire capable of affecting crude oil production in the region.
The host communities were responding to the unwillingness of the authorities of the Assembly to allow Fubara to gain access to the complex for the presentation of the 2025 budget.
Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), of the communities committee of oil and gas producing area of the Niger Delta (CDC), Joseph Ambakaderimo said, “baring Governor Siminalayi Fubara from gaining access to the Rivers State House of Assembly to perform official function is the height of political rascality on full display.
“This must be called to question because this action in itself is an affront on the Supreme Court judgement. These men call themselves lawmakers. They should always live by example.”
House Opposition Lawmakers Accuse Rivers Assembly of Plot to Destabilise State
Coalition of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by Pro-Nyesom Wike lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly to destabilise local government elections.
Its spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, made the allegation while addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja.
He alleged that there was a plot by the pro-Wike lawmakers to amend the local government law to frustrate the conduct of election, allow former local government chairmen whose tenure had expired to come back.
The coalition, however, assured Rivers people that the election would be held as scheduled by the electoral body, noting that no illegal amendment would stop the conduct of the elections.
“It’s time for people to continue to stand firm. We are almost close to the end and that’s why you see more frustrations, more ranting, because the people are arising.
“Election has been fixed for August 9th, while the indigenes are preparing for elections that the Supreme Court ordered to be re-conducted, the Wike group is running around looking for injunction to stop the conduct of the election.
“Like they did before running around to amend the local government law to frustrate the election. He’s now running around again to say that those former chairmen whose tenure has expired that they should come back. He wants to control the structure of governance.”
