Port Harcourt – A political tumult brewing in the state of Rivers reached a boiling point Thursday as the River State House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Deputy Governor.
In a special plenary session convened in a tight security arrangement, 26 lawmakers signed the notice of impeachment against the Governor for gross misconduct and violation of the 1999 Constitution. This is the most dramatic turn yet in a long struggle for control of this oil-rich state.
The sitting, which started early morning, saw the lawmakers pointing out specific instances of misconduct related to budgetary allocations as well as abuse of authority. The Speaker of the House addressing the house remarked that the legislature could no longer turn a blind eye to actions that were seen as harmful to the rule of law in the state.
“This is not a witch-hunt but a necessary move to protect the sanctity of our constitution,” a source within the assembly told journalists on the condition that they not be named.
There is an increased presence of the security agencies in Port Harcourt, especially around the Assembly Complex and the Government House, as the tension mounts in the capital. Supporters of the Governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Governor himself, Nyesom Wike, who is perceived to be the major player in the crisis, are also mobilizing.
Governor Fubara is yet to respond to the notice officially, although his media aides had before now described threats of such nature as “political distractions,” which are intended to frustrate the processes of governance.
With the ticking of the clock in the country’s constitutional process, the nation is waiting for the unfolding drama in the country’s judiciary in Port Harcourt.
