The Rivers APC crisis has intensified following the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of 27 defected lawmakers, reigniting impeachment threats against Governor Fubara. While Tony Okocha’s faction demands Fubara’s resignation or impeachment, the Amaechi-led camp dismisses the claims, accusing Okocha of illegitimacy. As tensions rise, Rivers State faces a deepening political state.
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The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is once again in unrest following renewed calls for the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. This latest political battle was sparked by a Supreme Court ruling that reinstated 27 lawmakers who had previously defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The court’s verdict overturned earlier decisions that had recognised the lawmakers’ defection as unconstitutional and had stripped them of their legislative powers. With their reinstatement, the political balance in the state has shifted, empowering the anti-Fubara faction to resume impeachment proceedings. This has reignited tensions between rival factions of the APC.
Governor Fubara on Monday reassured Rivers residents that the state would emerge stronger despite the political turmoil. He urged citizens to remain peaceful and law-abiding, dismissing fears of instability.
However, on the same day, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, along with 26 other lawmakers, refused to attend a peace meeting convened by the governor at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Okocha to Fubara: Resign Now or Be Impeached
Addressing journalists, Tony Okocha, a factional chairman of the APC, issued a stern warning to Fubara, insisting that he must either step down or face impeachment.
“The APC remains the major opposition party in Rivers State. We are the voice of the voiceless. When we said Fubara is clueless, we were not joking. The evidence is clear,” Okocha stated.
He dismissed Fubara’s invitation to the lawmakers for a peace meeting, calling it “inconsequential” and suggesting that the governor lacked legitimacy.
“The governor behaves like a puritan, but he’s a dangerous snake. His meeting agenda with the lawmakers is puerile. Is he inviting them to discuss the Supreme Court judgment? And why was the invitation letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government instead of the governor himself? It’s an aberration,” Okocha added.
He further claimed that Fubara had mismanaged the state and disrespected President Bola Tinubu, making his removal inevitable.
“The options before Fubara are two: he should honourably resign or be impeached because he has mismanaged the state and disrespected Mr President,” Okocha insisted.
He also pointed to the Supreme Court’s decision reinstating the defected lawmakers, arguing that their return strengthens the case for impeachment.
“If he refuses to resign, he will be impeached. I don’t need to be a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly to know the numerous impeachable offences he has committed. There is no government in Rivers State,” he declared.
Amaechi’s Loyalists Fire Back at Okocha
The opposing faction of the APC, led by Emeka Beke and loyal to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed Okocha’s remarks, arguing that he has no authority to speak on behalf of the party.
APC Publicity Secretary Darlington Nwauju accused Okocha of operating illegally, reminding the public that his caretaker committee had been nullified by the courts.
“Our response — recall that part of the grounds which the Supreme Court latched on to sustain the Federal High Court judgment, which nullified the local government elections in Rivers State, was that elections went ahead despite a court order stopping the process.
“Now, our question is, if we are not a people suffering from collective amnesia in Rivers State, why must a Tony Okocha, who is still parading himself as chairman of the APC in Rivers against the judgment of the court, now be the person pontificating over abuse of or disobedience to court processes?”
Nwauju accused Okocha of hypocrisy, comparing him to a physician who “goes about healing others while being in need of a health emergency.” He further described Okocha as a “conflict entrepreneur” who is contributing to the state’s political instability.
He also criticised Okocha’s past role in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), alleging that he had failed to make any meaningful impact during his tenure.
“He steadily deploys reverse psychology to pull the wool over the eyes of Rivers people in order to hide his visionless stray into the NDDC,” Nwauju added.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling reinstating the 27 lawmakers, the political landscape in Rivers State has become even more volatile. While the Okocha-led faction, backed by the APC’s national leadership, continues to push for Fubara’s removal, the Amaechi-aligned faction remains defiant, dismissing impeachment calls as baseless.
As tensions rise, all eyes are on the reinstated lawmakers and how they will shape the next phase of the state’s political drama.
