Friday January 9, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
The Ijaw National Congress (INC), the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ijaw nation worldwide, has called on the Rivers State House of Assembly to immediately drop the renewed impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, declaring that the state needs peace, development and good governance, not political warfare.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its President, Professor Benjamin Okaba, the INC described the impeachment bid as politically motivated and a continuation of what it called a “relentless cycle of vendetta” against the democratically elected government of Rivers State, warning that the move threatens democracy and stability in the state.
According to the Congress, the impeachment attempt (the third since 2023) poses a grave danger not only to Rivers State but also to the wider Niger Delta region, stressing that the crisis is not an ethnic issue but a fundamental test of Nigeria’s democratic order.
“The allegations being cited by the Assembly, including matters relating to budgetary spending and appointments, are governance issues that should be resolved within the framework of law and due process, not through the weaponisation of impeachment”, the INC stated.
The group noted that the renewed impeachment move followed the collapse of a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025 to resolve the political feud between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
While acknowledging the constitutional provisions of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution cited by the Assembly, the INC questioned the speed and context of the process, arguing that it undermines the spirit of fairness and suggests the use of impeachment as a political tool rather than a genuine check on executive power.
The INC added that opposition to the impeachment cuts across party lines, revealing that leaders and stakeholders within both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have also urged the Assembly to halt the process.
The Congress appealed to President Tinubu to intervene decisively as the father of the nation by defending constitutional democracy, ensuring neutrality, curbing actions that could fuel instability, and preventing any attempt to use federal institutions to withhold statutory allocations to Rivers State.
The INC also urged Ijaw people and residents of Rivers State to remain peaceful and law-abiding, advising against any action that could lead to violence or destruction of property, while encouraging sustained civic engagement and lawful advocacy in defence of democratic principles.
Reaffirming its position, the Congress aligned itself with earlier calls by the Eastern Zone of the INC and the Ijaw Youth Council for de-escalation of the crisis, insisting that no other group has the mandate to speak on behalf of the Ijaw nation on the Rivers political situation.
The INC appealed to both the executive and legislative arms of government in Rivers State to work together in the interest of the people, warning that the state needs peace, development and good governance, not political warfare.
It reiterated its commitment to the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria, pledging to closely monitor developments in Rivers State and take all legitimate and constitutional steps to ensure that democracy prevails.
