Tensions in Rivers State have escalated as Ijaw groups, including the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), issued a strong warning against the potential impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. They vowed to defend his mandate, cautioning that any attempt to remove him could destabilize the Niger Delta and disrupt oil production in the region.
This warning follows the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly, demanding that Fubara resubmit the 2025 budget for approval. The Assembly’s demand came after the Supreme Court ruled on February 28, 2025, affirming its legitimacy and intensifying the political standoff between the governor and lawmakers aligned with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
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The Supreme Court also ordered a halt to the state’s allocations and nullified the local government elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission on October 5, 2024. Following this ruling, the Assembly, in its first session on March 3, 2025, instructed Fubara to present the budget within 48 hours before it begins its 12-week recess on March 7.
Additionally, the Assembly condemned Fubara’s directive instructing Heads of Local Government Administration to take charge of the 23 council headquarters. As the Assembly prepared to announce its stance, INC, IYC, and other groups warned that removing Fubara could lead to unrest.
INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba denounced the impeachment threats, stating that the Ijaw people would not allow their first riverine governor in decades to be undermined. He criticized the Supreme Court ruling, arguing that it overlooked the historical and political contributions of the Ijaw people in Rivers State governance. Okaba cautioned that any move against Fubara could jeopardize national peace and economic stability, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
He highlighted the Ijaw people’s role in Rivers State politics, citing past sacrifices. He recalled that in 1999, Ijaw leader Chief Marshal Harry helped secure the PDP ticket for Dr. Peter Odili against a strong rival, Sergeant Awuse. In 2003, when Harry backed Awuse for governor, he was assassinated, a tragic loss for the Ijaw people.
In 2007, Ijaw figures like Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played key roles in Celestine Omehia’s victory, with Kalabari-Ijaw warlord Prince Igodo losing his life to maintain security during Omehia’s swearing-in. Okaba also mentioned how, in 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to appoint Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, then-First Lady Patience Jonathan ensured that Nyesom Wike got the position instead.
Despite these contributions, Okaba lamented that the Ikwerre political elite was working against the first riverine governor in decades. He vowed that the Ijaw nation would defend Fubara at all costs, emphasizing their role in maintaining peace in the Niger Delta, which has contributed to increased oil production and national revenue. He also pointed out the broader political marginalization of the Ijaw people in states like Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom.
Okaba urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene, stressing that the Rivers crisis should not be dismissed as mere politics. He warned that the Ijaw people, numbering over 40 million globally, would resist any attempt to undermine their political influence.
The IYC also called for caution, urging those seeking to use the Supreme Court ruling to destabilize Rivers State to reconsider. IYC President Dr. Theophilus Alaye criticized the ruling, particularly the nullification of the Rivers State local government elections, arguing that other states had also used the 2023 INEC voters’ register for similar elections.
Alaye warned that any forceful removal of Fubara would be met with resistance from the IYC and other Niger Delta youth groups. He also expressed frustration over the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) operations, accusing it of drafting budgets without consulting the people and executing substandard projects that do not benefit host communities.
Similarly, Chinwe Njoku, the Imo State Coordinator of Niger Delta Women, blamed the NDDC for fueling unrest in oil-producing states, claiming that 70% of conflicts in the region stem from the commission’s neglect of host communities. She accused the NDDC of prioritizing non-oil-producing areas in employment and contract awards, which, she argued, has worsened tensions in the Niger Delta.
