The Ijaw National Congress, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ijaw nation worldwide, on Friday condemned the deepening political crisis in Rivers and the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In a statement by the INC Global president, Benjamin Okaba, the organisation described the impeachment move as “a great threat to democracy”.
“The INC issues this urgent statement in response to the resumption of impeachment proceedings by the Rivers House of Assembly against the democratically elected Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his Deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu. The INC categorically and unequivocally condemns this impeachment move as a grave threat to democracy, peace, and stability in Rivers and the Niger Delta region.
“This is the third of such attempts since 2023, revealing a relentless cycle of political vendetta that must be broken. We stand firmly with the people of Rivers and all defenders of constitutional order in rejecting this dangerous gambit. The INC frames this crisis as a fundamental threat to democracy. This is not a matter of the Ijaw nation but for democracy,” said the statement.
The statement noted that the allegations presented by the Rivers State House of Assembly, including matters of budgetary spending and gubernatorial appointments, were governance issues that could and must be resolved within the framework of law and due process, not through the “weaponisation” of impeachment.
He also noted that the impeachment threat, no doubt, followed the collapse of a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025, aimed at resolving the feud between Mr Fubara and FCT minister Nyesom Wike.
“The Ijaw National Congress respectfully and urgently calls on President Bola Tinubu to act decisively as the father of the nation. The peace and economic stability of the Niger Delta, a region critical to the national economy, hinges on the federal government being perceived as an honest broker.
“Mr President should also rein in all individuals, including those within his government, whose actions and pronouncements fuel this crisis and threaten to throw Rivers into anarchy. The crisis has been marked by provocative statements and actions that must be curtailed.
“We view any attempt to leverage federal institutions to withhold statutory allocations to the state as unconstitutional and profoundly provocative. Such an action would be an economic sanction against the people of Rivers with dire consequences for national unity,” added the statement.
It noted that “this is a time to demand governance, not perpetual political warfare” and urged the state lawmakers “to focus on its core legislative and oversight duties, allowing the executive to serve the people who elected them”.
(NAN)
