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A civic watchdog has described the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Odu, as a political witch-hunt driven by personal interests rather than constitutional breaches.
A statement on Thursday by the Good Governance Advocacy Centre, GGAC, claimed that a 72-hour forensic review of lawful evidence revealed misconduct capable of removing the governor or his deputy under the constitution.
The country representative of GGAC, Dr Zaccheus Ocha, who signed the statement in Port Harcourt, said the organisation undertook a “procedural and factual analysis” of the issues raised by the Rivers State House of Assembly and found them “manifestly weak, speculative and politically motivated”.
The centre noted that the impeachment letter failed the basic constitutional threshold required to trigger removal proceedings, saying that the allegations fell squarely within the discretionary powers of the executive arm of government.
The statement read, “The Good Governance Advocacy Centre has concluded a 72-hour independent review that shows there is no act of gross misconduct established against Governor Siminalayi Fubara or his deputy.
“What is presented as impeachment is, in substance, a political project aimed at personal and factional gains, not the protection of constitutional order.”
The centre said its review covered the text of the impeachment notice, relevant constitutional provisions, and financial records cited by lawmakers, adding that none of the claims met the standard of “grave violation or misconduct” as listed by Section 188 of the Constitution.
It also linked the impeachment move to the lingering political feud between the governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, describing the crisis as a continuation of unresolved power struggles rather than a genuine accountability process.
“The pattern of events in Rivers state suggests that the impeachment proceedings are not occurring in a political vacuum,” the statement said.
“Our analysis indicates that the legislative actions against Governor Fubara are deeply rooted in the post-transition power tussle following the exit of the former governor, Nyesom Wike, and the resistance to the governor’s efforts to assert institutional independence.”
The group alleged that the state assembly had become “a proxy battlefield” in a broader struggle to retain control over state structures, adding that impeachment was being deployed as a coercive instrument to force political submission.
“Disagreements between former and incumbent political leaders cannot be resolved through the abuse of constitutional mechanisms. Impeachment is an extraordinary remedy, not a weapon for enforcing loyalty or settling succession disputes,” GGAC said.
The advocacy group warned that weaponising impeachment for political vendettas poses a grave threat to democratic stability, not just in Rivers but nationally.
“Our findings show a deliberate attempt to intimidate the executive and destabilise governance in Rivers state through legislative overreach,” the statement said.
GGAC further noted that several allegations cited administrative decisions clearly within the lawful authority of the governor, including appointments and budgetary actions, adding that no court order had been breached and no criminal infraction established.
It also faulted the speed with which the impeachment process was initiated, saying it raised serious concerns about due process and fair hearing.
“The rush to impeachment, without sincere effort at dialogue or reconciliation, reinforces the conclusion that the process is punitive rather than corrective,” the statement noted.
The group warned that continuing with the impeachment could plunge Rivers into prolonged instability, distract from governance, and undermine economic and security priorities in the oil-producing state.
It called on lawmakers to immediately suspend the proceedings and embrace dialogue, urging respected political leaders, elders, and civil society actors to intervene to prevent what it described as an “avoidable constitutional crisis engineered by political brinkmanship”.
“Rivers state does not need another season of manufactured instability. The interests of citizens must take precedence over personal ambitions and unresolved political grievances,” GGAC said.
Rivers crisis: Impeachment not constitutional, politically motivated – Advocacy Centre
