Rivers Assembly: Fubara impeachment not driven by Wike

Rivers State House of Assembly has firmly rejected claims that the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara are being orchestrated by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, insisting that the process is rooted strictly in constitutional provisions.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the Assembly’s spokesperson, Enemi George, dismissed suggestions that the lawmakers were acting on the instructions or influence of any political figure, describing such claims as an attempt to politicise a constitutional duty.

George cautioned that conflating politics with legislative responsibilities could undermine democratic institutions, stressing that the House of Assembly must not be reduced to the will or interests of an individual.

“This is pouring oil into water, and those two don’t mix unless boiled. The FCT minister is a politician. If we begin to mix politics and constitutional matters, we will begin to cause trouble,” he said.

Responding directly to questions about Wike’s alleged role in the impeachment move, the lawmaker acknowledged his personal political alignment with the FCT minister but insisted that such affiliations have no bearing on the Assembly’s actions.

“I am not a party chief but a spokesperson of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Personally, I am politically aligned with the FCT minister, but it is insulting to reduce the activities of an institution created by the Constitution to just politics or an individual,” George stated.

He maintained that the impeachment process was triggered by what the Assembly considers serious allegations of constitutional violations by the governor. According to him, lawmakers are acting within their mandate to uphold the Constitution and ensure accountability in governance, rather than pursuing a politically motivated agenda.

George also addressed claims circulating in the public space that the Assembly engaged in budget padding or deliberately stalled legislative activities to justify the impeachment process. He dismissed such allegations as baseless, insisting that the House has remained committed to its legislative duties.

“The process is not politically motivated,” he said, reiterating that accusations of budget padding and legislative sabotage were unfounded and meant to distract from the substantive issues before the Assembly.

As the impeachment proceedings continue, the Rivers State House of Assembly has maintained that its actions are guided solely by constitutional responsibilities, even as political tensions remain high in the state.