The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has strongly condemned the renewed impeachment move against Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, describing it as a dangerous assault on democracy with far-reaching implications for peace and stability in the Niger Delta.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Yenagoa and signed by its President, Professor Benjamin O. Okaba, the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organisation said the resumption of impeachment proceedings by the Rivers State House of Assembly represents a “relentless cycle of political vendetta” that must be urgently halted.
The INC warned that the action, which marks the third impeachment attempt against Governor Fubara since 2023, goes beyond ethnic considerations and strikes at the very heart of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
“This is not a matter of the Ijaw nation but of democracy,” the INC declared, stressing that allegations relating to budgetary spending and appointments are governance issues that should be addressed through lawful and established constitutional processes, not through what it described as the weaponisation of impeachment.
The group noted that the impeachment threat followed the collapse of a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 2025 to resolve the political rift between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. According to the INC, the failure of that intervention has further heightened political tension in the state.
While acknowledging that the House of Assembly cited Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as the basis for its action, the INC questioned the speed, context and intent of the process, arguing that it raises serious concerns about fairness and due process.
The Congress also pointed out that opposition to the impeachment is not limited to one political camp, noting that prominent voices across the political spectrum, including within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, have called for the impeachment process to be dropped.
In a direct appeal to
President Tinubu, the INC urged him to act decisively in his capacity as President and Commander-in-Chief to safeguard constitutional democracy in Rivers State. It called on the President to use his moral authority to prevent further destabilisation, warning that repeated impeachment threats undermine governance and public confidence.
The INC further demanded absolute neutrality and fairness from the Federal Government, insisting that the Niger Delta’s peace and economic stability depend on the perception of the centre as an impartial arbiter. It also urged the President to rein in individuals within and outside government whose actions and statements are inflaming tensions and pushing the state towards chaos.
Of particular concern to the INC was the possibility of federal institutions being used to withhold statutory allocations to Rivers State.
The group described any such move as unconstitutional and “profoundly provocative,” warning that it would amount to collective economic punishment of the people of Rivers State with grave consequences for national unity.
Amid rising tension, the INC appealed to Ijaw people and all residents of Rivers State to remain peaceful and law-abiding, urging them not to be provoked into violence or destruction of property. It encouraged citizens to channel their grievances through peaceful civic engagement and lawful advocacy, while defending democratic institutions and ongoing development projects in the state.
The Congress also called on the Rivers State House of Assembly to refocus on its legislative and oversight responsibilities, rather than plunging the state into perpetual political warfare.
In a firm internal clarification, the INC reaffirmed that it remains the only recognised body authorised to speak for the Ijaw nation globally, dismissing statements by other groups purporting to represent Ijaw positions on the Rivers crisis as misleading and invalid.
The statement concluded with a call for both the executive and legislative arms of government in Rivers State to work together in the interest of peace, development and good governance.
“The people of Rivers State are entitled to peace and progress, not self-destruction or anarchy,” the INC said, pledging to continue monitoring developments and to take all legitimate constitutional steps to ensure that democracy prevails over impunity.
