“A Clear Case of Vendetta”: INC, Rivers Elders Vow to Resist Fubara Impeachment

The political atmosphere in Rivers State has reached a fever pitch as the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council launched a scathing joint protest against the ongoing impeachment proceedings targeting Governor Siminalayi Fubara** and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Leaders from both groups have warned the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly—widely perceived as loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike—that the move is a “futile exercise” driven by personal ambition rather than the public good.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba expressed deep skepticism about the lawmakers’ motives, characterizing the plot as a weaponized use of constitutional powers for a personal grudge.

“Yes, I’m very positive that at the end of the day it will all turn out to be a futile exercise,” Okaba said. “There is public outcry against them within and outside Rivers State because it is obvious that this is a clear case of vendetta using the instrumentality of impeachment. It is not about the growth of democracy and development; it is all about personal interest above the interest of the state.”

Okaba specifically called out lawmakers of Ijaw descent who have aligned themselves with the impeachment, accusing them of abandoning their cultural and spiritual responsibilities.

“Some Ijaw brothers in the House came out to say they are Ijaw people and that they support the impeachment. People have asked me, don’t you consider that Ijaw people in the House are supporting it? My answer is no. They are not speaking for Ijaw people. They have not consulted their constituents, and they lack Ijaw spirituality and consciousness.”

The INC President also alleged that the lawmakers were influenced by high-priced incentives, citing reports of luxury vehicles being distributed during the crisis.

“Take for instance the issue of supplementary materials. These same persons have collected vehicles worth N350 million while they were on suspension with some cases being given to all of them. That Greek gift was collected in the public domain and nobody has refuted that. All of this shows it is about self-interest.”

The protest also took aim at the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, accusing him of engineering the crisis to pave a direct path to the governor’s seat.

On the Speaker’s Ambition: “Somebody is desperate to be governor by all means and therefore orchestrating impeachment. The Speaker should be told: when your time comes, contest; not to rubbish a system to become governor from the backdoor.”

On the Deputy Governor: “Let’s say the governor fumbled, what did the deputy governor do that you’re also including her? All these displays of selfishness will not work. It will take our democracy several years back if allowed.”

Rivers Elders: “They are Fighting the People”

Supporting the INC’s stance, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a prominent member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council, warned that the Assembly is not just attacking Fubara, but the entire state’s stability. He accused the lawmakers of showing ingratitude to President Bola Tinubu, who previously waded into the crisis.

“It is very obvious that the Assembly members are showing ingratitude to Mr. President and also to Rivers people. They think they are fighting Sim Fubara; no, they are fighting Rivers people. All they are trying to do is to stall development in the state,” Sara-Igbe stated.

Sara-Igbe further alleged that the lawmakers’ actions are part of a broader scheme that has already wasted state resources during periods of political unrest.

“If they can do something that made a stranger come and lavish our resources for six months and that is not enough, they still want to impeach the governor. Let them go ahead. But they should realise they are not fighting Sim; they are fighting Rivers people, and Rivers State will react appropriately.”

The Elders Council also challenged Nyesom Wike and his supporters to make the alleged “peace agreements” between the warring factions public.

“They said they have an agreement. I challenge them to publish the agreement they have that Sim refused to implement. If the agreement is in the interest of the state, let them publish it. Rivers people, as far as we are concerned, Sim is going for a second tenure whether they like it or not.”

Sara-Igbe concluded with a grim warning that the current trajectory could destabilize the entire Niger Delta region and the country at large.

“The impeachment will hit the rocks. The process takes a long way, and as soon as the seven-man panel comes up to say the man is not guilty, that is the end of it. They cannot harass him with impeachment anymore. Rivers people are tired of their gimmick, we are tired of their tricks.”

“What they are doing will trigger problems in the state, in the region, and in the country. So they should think well. If they continue with the impeachment, I wish them well. But at the end of the day, the impeachment will fail. And if it fails, that’s the end of impeachment.”