Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Henry Owen
Abuja/Port Harcourt — The contentious attempt to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has hit significant legal and political headwinds after weeks of escalating drama, signalling that the effort, driven in part by defections and bitter factionalisation, is far from going according to plan. What began with a seemingly coordinated impeachment push by lawmakers allied with former governor and federal minister Nyesom Wike has evolved into a protracted constitutional standoff involving rival factions, court injunctions and shifting support from national political players.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, dominated by several lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), initiated what would be the third impeachment process against Fubara — who was elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner — accusing him and his deputy of gross misconduct. The move followed deepening grievances after Fubara was perceived to have reneged on a power sharing agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu last year, a dispute that has underpinned much of the political crisis in the oil-rich southwestern state.
However, the process soon encountered formidable legal obstacles. In late January, Justice Simeon Amadi, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, formally declined to constitute the seven-member judicial panel needed to probe the allegations, citing the existence of interim court injunctions and pending appeals that restrict his ability to act. The judge’s letter made clear that his hands were tied by existing court orders, effectively halting the impeachment process pending appellate decisions.
Shortly thereafter, the Oyigbo High Court in Rivers State adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Fubara and his deputy challenging the impeachment process, after lawyers informed the court that appeals have already been filed. The judge ruled that it was appropriate to suspend further hearings until the appellate court resolves the matter, underscoring the deep legal entanglements that have so far kept the impeachment bid from advancing.
The legal logjam has provoked mixed reactions across political lines. A faction of the state APC has publicly supported the court’s restraint, arguing that the injunctions ensure due process and must be respected. These voices, while aligned with the federal ruling party, have lamented what they describe as a “kangaroo impeachment” attempt that challenges constitutional norms.
At the federal level, President Tinubu has stepped into the fray, reaffirming his support for Fubara and underscoring the governor’s status as the recognised APC leader in Rivers State. The presidency clarified that former governor Wike, now FCT minister, had already been “fully compensated” politically, a comment interpreted by analysts as an attempt to quell intraparty friction and realign fault lines ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Wike, a PDP stalwart and Fubara’s erstwhile political godfather, has significantly toned down his public rhetoric in recent days, even as the impeachment effort continues in the background. While he has not disavowed the push, his once-assertive calls for Fubara’s removal have given way to more muted statements, a shift that some political strategists interpret as acknowledgment of overreach in the face of mounting legal setbacks and the unpredictable response from APC leadership.
Despite the apparent lull in overt confrontation, Porto Harcourt remains politically charged. Civil society groups and opposition networks have criticised what they see as a politically motivated impeachment gambit that threatens constitutional governance, pointing to the repeated resort to courts and appeals as evidence that the process is being manipulated for factional advantage rather than genuine accountability. Others argue that the assembly’s persistence reflects legitimate grievances about executive conduct.
Political analysts say the impeachment saga has exposed deeper fractures within Rivers politics: a split between the incumbent governor’s camp — anchored in sections of the APC and some PDP loyalists — and a faction aligned with Wike’s strategy of influence and control. Legal analysts note that the constitutional safeguards triggered by injunctions and appeals are now central to determining whether the assembly can ever move forward with the impeachment.
Observers also point to the broader implications of the crisis for Nigeria’s democratic processes. Rivers State, historically a PDP stronghold before Fubara’s defection-linked ascendancy and the legislature’s switch to APC allegiance, has become a test case for the limits of legislative power, judicial restraint, and executive autonomy within Nigeria’s federal system at a time of rising political polarisation nationally.
For now, the impeachment process remains in legal limbo. The House of Assembly’s request for a judicial panel lies dormant, pending resolution of appeals at higher courts. Governor Fubara continues in office without a functioning investigation panel, and the political drama that has gripped Nigeria’s fifth most populous state appears to have entered a new, more complex phase where constitutional battles may ultimately decide the outcome more than political maneuvering on its own.
Whether Wike has overplayed his hand is a matter of ongoing debate among political commentators. Some see his recalibrated tone as evidence of strategic retreat in the face of legal and party resistance, while others view the situation as a temporary pause in a long game that could resurface as Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 electoral cycle. What is clear is that the crisis has tested the resilience of institutional checks and balances in one of Nigeria’s most politically consequential states.
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