Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has downplayed concerns over the possible impeachment of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, insisting that the state will not experience chaos if the lawmakers proceed with the process.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike stated that there is nothing wrong if the Rivers State House of Assembly decides to remove Fubara over alleged impeachable offenses, including withholding lawmakers’ salaries for months.
“If you have committed an offense to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offense? It’s provided in the constitution,” Wike said. “I have heard people say: ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order.’ Rubbish. Nothing will happen.”
Wike, a former Rivers governor who has been engaged in a prolonged political conflict with Fubara, dismissed claims that an impeachment would lead to instability in the state. He also criticized some judges, accusing them of misleading politicians into believing they have strong legal cases when they do not.
“If you win, they say the judges collected money. Meanwhile, no compensation was given. I know what I know. Now, if they don’t win, they go by the same way. It will be difficult for us to go and collect the money back because we don’t want people to know that we paid a bribe,” Wike remarked.
He also suggested that Fubara had been misled into thinking he had a guaranteed Supreme Court victory, stating, “Simply because judicial merchants have told you, you will win. And that’s why I pity judges and justices.”
Wike further accused Fubara of arrogance, stating that his access to state funds had emboldened him to make controversial decisions.
“Fubara has the audacity because he has money from FAAC and IGR to interfere in family matters, remove a chief, and appoint another person,” he alleged.
Regarding reconciliation efforts, Wike dismissed the idea that peace could be forced and accused Fubara’s camp of using intimidation rather than genuine dialogue to resolve the political crisis.
“If the assembly believes he committed an infraction and he knows he did, finding peace is not about making threats,” he stated.
Despite the ongoing power struggle, Wike reaffirmed his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, stating that he remains committed to supporting the president, regardless of political pressures.
The political rift between Wike and Fubara, which began shortly after the governor took office, has further deepened divisions within the state. With allegations of judicial interference, political maneuvering, and personal disputes, the crisis in Rivers State remains unresolved.
