The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the call by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State on the State House of Assembly to institute an impeachment proceeding against the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is an invitation to anarchy.
This is even as the Rivers State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) said it endorsed the call for the impeachment of the governor, accusing the governor of withholding and tempering with funds meant for the 23 LGAs in the state.
The crisis in the state, which started late last year between Governor Fubara and his immediate successor and estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, entered another level on Tuesday when the state chapter of the APC called on its 27 members in the House of Assembly, including the speaker, to commence the impeachment process.
Before then, the lawmakers had continuously threatened to impeach the governor, accusing him of not abiding by the terms of the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu late last year. The lawmakers had also overridden the decision of the governor to decline assent to several bills earlier passed by the House. But the call by the APC leadership on Tuesday, according to observers, indicated that the plan for the impeachment of the governor might have been concluded.
But addressing a press conference at the PDP headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, said the lawmakers who left the PDP for the APC have vacated their seats and can no longer institute an impeachment against an elected governor.
Quoting from Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, he said, “A member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if… (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.”
“The PDP draws the attention of the Inspector General of Police to the subversive utterances of the APC Chairman in Rivers State, which are capable of triggering crises and derailing the Democratic Order in the country.”
Rivers LG chairmen accuse Fubara of withholding funds, backs impeachment
But also addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on behalf of the state ALGON, its Chairman and Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda accused Governor Fubara of tampering with funds meant for the 23 LGAs in the state, describing it as illegal.
Ihunda, who was flanked by 21 of his colleagues, also said the security votes due to the various councils, which are used to protect the LGAs, have not been released to them, saying these are signs of high-handedness and dictatorship by the governor.
He alleged that the governor withheld the LG funds for April, and one of the councils, Emuoha LGA, has not received funds since March 2024.
He said ALGON supported the call for the State House of Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.
It was gathered that the governor has barred all heads and officials of the 23 local government areas in the state from appearing before the State Assembly. The governor warned that any chairman who appeared before lawmakers loyal to Wike, led by Martin Amaewhule as speaker, would be sacked.
The directive is contained in a circular issued on Tuesday and signed by Ebirieneuket Nteile C, Director of Information and Communications for the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission.
Speaking on this, the Chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, Chidi Llyod, said, “I haven’t heard since I was born that a government will issue a circular to its staff not to honour invitations from the State Assembly. So, we are calling on the world to see what is happening in Rivers State.”
Grandstanding won’t change their exit date—Govt
Responding to the allegations made by the LG chairmen, the state commissioner of information, Joseph Johnson, said no level of grandstanding will change the date for the end of the tenure of the LG chairmen, clarifying that only one LG’s fund was withheld.
He explained, “There are 23 local government areas in Rivers State, and withholding funds for no reason is unacceptable. The truth is that three local government areas exceeded their authority by terminating the appointment of local government staff, a power reserved for the Local Government Service Commission.”
Johnson further clarified, “The Local Government Service Commission took action against Ahoada East, Ikwerre, and Emouha local government areas. Ikwerre and Ahoada East have complied with the Commission’s requirements, and their funds have been released. However, Emouha LGA has not complied.”
He criticized ALGON, stating, “ALGON is grandstanding. The law that established them gave them a three-year tenure, which cannot be changed midway. After June 17, their mandate will expire, and they will become former local government chairmen.”
