The genesis of the political debacle in River State emanates from the bitter power struggles between the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and his godson, Governor Siminilayi Fubara. The crisis ignited after Fubara’s election when Wike sought to continue control of state resources and political structure but the refusal of Fubara led to a fallout.
According to analysts, at the core of their fight is a fight for dominance and control over the state’s oil wealth and political machinery ( structure) with Fubara aiming to break off Wike yoke and directives.
The tension in River state escalated as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who are loyal to the FCT Minister issued an impeachment notice to Governor Fubara and his Deputy Odu while external actors are reportedly influencing and fuelling the impeachment.
Trouble started when Fubara was accused of not fulfilling political agreement reach with Nyesom Wike his godfather. Wike has been fingered as the brain behind the impeachment against Fubara and his deputy.
On the basis of this “roforofo” fight, the Wike aligned lawmakers initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara leading to tension, political instability and fractured political landscape. In the midst of this troubles, the crisis saw many defections, with Wike loyalists moving into the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed by governor Fubara from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC showing a very deep party paralysis.
Nyesom Wike was not happy about the governor’s move because Governor Fubara will become the 001 and leader of the ruling party in the state. This made the political debacle in the state became a complex mix of power struggles, control over the state wealth and political structure and ethnic resentment in the oil rich Niger-Delta state.
However the sudden U-turn of the four members of the state assembly who earlier detached themselves from the impeachment plot and appealed to their colleagues to reconsider the position on the impeachment of Governor Fubara injected a fresh uncertainty into an already combustible political crisis.
Explaining their volt-face to the media recently, the four legislators said Governor Fubara and his deputy were not remorseful following their appeal for an amicable solution to the crisis. Thus the position of the returnee assembly men and women swiftly reinforced the 26 lawmaker who has earlier endorsed the impeachment.
It will be recalled that this current impeachment proceeding mark the third impeachment move against Fubara following earlier moves on October 30, 2023, and March 17, 2025 and unfortunately each move ignite the widening of the state’s political fault lines. Yet the House Speaker, Martin Amaewhule maintained a firm posture insisting that the assembly would not back out of their constitutional responsibilities.
Nevertheless, observers suggests that some individuals who earlier supported the impeachment are beginning to withdraw their support describing the crisis as completely unnecessary and detached from the concerns and expectation of the River people. So with responses from community leaders, elders and party stakeholders who sees the development as selfish and misdirected.
Therefore, political analysts sees the prolonged face-off between the governor and the assembly men could deepen paralysis of governance. Beyond the hallow chamber of the River State House of Assembly, reactions to the impeachment attempt have continue to send ripple effects across the country’s political landscape.
