Rivers State has descended into heightened political tension as prominent Ijaw groups, including the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), have issued strong warnings against the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The groups made it clear that they are prepared to defend Fubara’s mandate, cautioning that any attempt to remove him would destabilize the Niger Delta region and severely affect oil production.
These threats come as the 48-hour ultimatum set by the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly for the governor to resubmit the 2025 budget expires on March 5, 2025.
The Assembly’s position follows a recent Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, that reaffirmed its legitimacy and ordered the seizure of allocations to the state, further complicating an already tense political environment.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President of the INC, condemned the impeachment threats, stressing that the Ijaw people would not passively watch their first riverine governor in decades be undermined.
He warned that the Ijaw community would not tolerate further political marginalization, declaring, “If Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated, the INC cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production.”
Echoing these sentiments, Dr. Theophilus Alaye, President of the IYC Worldwide, cautioned that any forced attempt to remove Fubara would face stiff resistance, and might trigger economic disruptions and instability across the region.
The IYC called on the Federal Government to intervene immediately, emphasizing the potential consequences of destabilizing the state.
The political crisis has prompted calls for calm from various quarters, with the Nigerian Navy and Army maintaining a neutral stance, while the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) urged for peaceful resolution and proactive conflict management.