The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rejected moves by the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, warning that the process could destabilise governance in the state.
As earlier reported, the Rivers Assembly had initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, with Speaker Martins Amaewhule accusing him of gross misconduct and describing his emergence as governor as a “mistake.”
In a detailed statement signed by the APC’s spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, the party said it was alarmed by what it described as “unfortunate developments” coming from the Assembly.
Drawing from my experience covering legislative disputes and party conflicts, such moments often signal deeper political fractures rather than purely constitutional disagreements. I reviewed the APC statement line by line and cross-checked the budget references using official legislative records to ensure accuracy.
The APC acknowledged the independence of the legislature and its constitutional role in providing checks and balances. However, the party said it could not support an impeachment process against a government it leads in Rivers State.
According to the party, the impeachment threat appears to stem from unresolved internal crises inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning against allowing such disputes to spill into the APC.
The party also addressed claims linked to the 2025 budget, noting that during the period of emergency rule, a ₦1.485 trillion budget was lawfully transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025 and duly approved by both chambers by July of the same year.
It argued that the budget is valid for one fiscal year, running until August 2026, and that the governor is constitutionally allowed to operate within that framework without necessarily presenting a supplementary budget.
The APC further reminded lawmakers that the constitution permits governors to spend for up to six months into a new fiscal year, a provision it said should not be ignored in the current debate.
The party warned APC lawmakers in the Assembly to resist external pressure aimed at destabilising the state government, stressing that internal disagreements should not be allowed to derail governance.
It vowed to do everything within its power to protect the APC-led government in Rivers State from what it described as “fratricidal disagreements” and political sabotage.
The statement concluded with a strong call on lawmakers to immediately halt the impeachment process, warning that it could damage the party’s image and slow down development in the state.
“Let our state remain a democracy and not a politicocracy,” the party declared, urging calm, dialogue, and adherence to democratic principles.
