The political turmoil in Rivers State has taken a dramatic turn as Tony Okocha, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, has publicly called for Governor Siminalayi Fubara to resign or face impeachment by the State Assembly.
This ultimatum comes on the heels of a recent Supreme Court judgment that recognized the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly as the rightful assembly of the state.
Okocha’s statement was in response to an invitation extended by Governor Fubara to the Assembly, which he deemed “belated” and “not within the armbits of the law”.
The invitation, signed by Secretary to the State Government Dr. Tammy Danagogo, proposed a meeting between the governor and lawmakers to discuss pressing issues, including the presentation of the 2025 budget.
However, Okocha urged lawmakers to disregard the invitation, describing the reasons behind it as “absurd”.
He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s judgment is final and binding, and that Governor Fubara’s actions are undermining the rule of law.
The APC chairman also accused Governor Fubara of disrespecting President Bola Tinubu, who had attempted to mediate the crisis, and of causing harm to the state by failing to present a budget, resulting in the stoppage of salaries for workers.
The political crisis in Rivers State has been ongoing for months, with the Supreme Court’s recent judgment voiding the presentation of the 2025 budget before a three-man assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo and removing all elected local government chairmen.
The Assembly has since invited Governor Fubara to represent the budget before it and summoned the Chairman and Commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to appear before it.
However, Okocha insisted that the Supreme Court judgement is sacrosanct and cannot be discussed.
He said: “Supreme Court judgement is sacrosanct as it is. There is nothing anybody can do, you can’t add or remove.
“As a political party, we are advising the governor that there are two options available to him – resign honorably or be impeached, that’s the position of the APC today.”
Okocha also insisted that the governor has committed several impeachable offences as outlined in the Supreme Court judgement.
“He has ran the state aground. He has disrespected Mr President and we warned him, let him resign because there is no government in Rivers State. He’s already sitting on a keg of gunpowder and a little spark it will explode, ” he added.
On the invitation by the governor, the party chief stated: “If I were an assembly member, my answer to that Greek gift from the governor is that it is not within the armbits of the law, secondly, it’s already belated”.
He recalled that the APC had earlier offered some helping hands to the governor in the wake of the crisis but he refused, noting that those who urged the governor on have left him now. Okocha applauded the 27 lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule for standing firm in their pursuit of the matter.
“I congratulate the 27 assembly members who stood their grounds. Not even the threat, not even the palpable hunger following their non-payment of salaries, they were not deterred so we need to commend them as the face of modern democracy in Nigeria,” the party chairman said. Okocha also reprimanded those threatening to burst oil pipelines in the region if Fubara is impeached, describing their threat as an act cowardice.
