We’ll resist attempt to impeach Fubara – Rivers govt

The Rivers State Government has sent a strong message to the All Progressives Congress (APC), over its call on the State House of Assembly to commence impeachment process against Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of state, warning that such an obnoxious move would be vehemently rejected.

Joseph Johnson, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, on behalf of the government stated that the 27 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly lacked the moral standing to impeach the governor.

Johnson particularly warned the APC lawmakers, believed to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Terrority (FCT), Nyesom Wike, against embarking on such a frivolous venture, stressing that any attempt to impeach the governor will be resisted by the Rivers people.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, directed the APC legislators in the Rivers State Assembly to commence impeachment process against Governor Fubara, saying that the impeachment became necessary following the insult the governor rained on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who intervened in the political crisis in the state.

But in a swift reaction, the Rivers State Information and Communications Commissioner, noted that Okocha lacked the moral standing to talk about the state government, particularly against the backdrop of the fact he was not a legitimate member of the APC.

Johnson made it clear that attempts to remove the governor would not be simple since the people of the State are ready and willing to fight back against such actions with their own blood.

In the remarks of Johnson; “They should not imagine embarking on it because Rivers people will resist them because it is baseless to think of it. They are not fighting with legitimacy; they are only fighting for their own survival. On what plank will you put that? The law says you can’t put legality on illegality.

“As far as we are concerned, they do not even have the locus standi to do that. They should not even bother to start it because Section 109(g) has settled the case. It says if an Assembly member defects from his own party that brought him to office, he/she automatically lose his/her seat. They have done that, and it is settled. Our Constitution is the grand norm.

“The court, the Supreme Court, is there to look at these elementary issues. There is also a subsisting judgement on this, so we don’t need a second opinion on whether we should respect them as Assembly members or not. The Supreme Court has already declared those seats vacant.

“Tony Okocha was just yesterday declared as not being a member of APC by a former chairman of the party, Sokonte Davies. He is a factional chairman. We want the faction led by Chief Emeka Beke to say the same thing.

He stressed, “Okocha is standing on one leg. His call is an empty call. His advice to impeach the governor is a journey that leads nowhere, and they will not succeed. The lawmakers are not existent, and they are not seen in law,”.