The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed the Chief Judge of the state to comply with a subsisting court order halting moves to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
The party said the Chief Judge has a legal duty to obey the interim injunction issued by a Rivers State High Court, which restrained any action on the impeachment process initiated by members of the State House of Assembly.
The APC, led by Emeka Beke, said its position was reached after a careful review of events surrounding the impeachment move and the role played by lawmakers in the state.
In a statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, the APC expressed displeasure over the conduct of Assembly members, including those identified as APC lawmakers.
The party faulted lawmakers who, according to the statement, “trumpeted loyalty to our party and Mr President can give themselves to the unfolding choreographed legislative coup d’etat against the collective interest, growth and development of our party in the state”.
The APC warned that the impeachment attempt amounted to an unnecessary extension of legislative powers and could deepen internal divisions within the party in Rivers State.
“We warn again that this is a needless legislative overreach having observed the recalcitrance on the part of members of the House of Assembly, including ‘APC’ members!” the statement said.
The party acknowledged that the Constitution grants the legislature powers to carry out impeachment proceedings under Sections 129 and 188 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
However, it stressed that the interpretation of what constitutes “gross misconduct” remains subjective and largely dependent on the discretion of the lawmakers.
“It is common knowledge that the Legislature is empowered under Section 129 and 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to conduct impeachment,” the statement read.
“As the ruling party in Rivers State, we are equally aware of the provisions of paragraph (11) of Section 188, which is subject to political interpretation by the Legislature, as that paragraph is neither normative nor objective because act(s) that constitute ‘gross misconduct’ is/are what only the legislature deem to be misconduct.”
The APC argued that regardless of how the allegations against Governor Fubara and his deputy were framed, they remained open to public debate and interpretation.
It warned that the impeachment effort could have long-term consequences for the party’s unity and public standing in the state.
“This unfortunate path chosen by the legislative arm therefore serves as dangerous footnote to the health and survival of the APC in Rivers State,” the party stated.
The APC also directly addressed the Chief Judge of Rivers State, urging strict compliance with the court’s interim order.
“Meanwhile, we call on the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State, to respect yesterday’s interim injunction in Suit No OYHC/7/CS/2026 that restrained him from receiving/acting on the resolutions of the Rivers State House of Assembly,” the statement added.
The party further appealed to the national leadership of the APC to step in and prevent the situation from escalating.
It called on the National Working Committee to deploy internal disciplinary and conflict-resolution mechanisms provided under the party’s constitution.
“Finally, we call on the national leadership of the party to immediately activate internal mechanisms available to the National Working Committee under Article 21(b)(iii) of the 2022 Constitution (as amended) to save our dear party from an embarrassing situation,” the statement concluded.