Reconciliatory efforts to halt the impeachment proceedings against Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, gathered pace yesterday as prominent Niger Delta leaders stepped in to avert a full-blown political crisis.
The Pan-Niger Delta Elders’ Forum (PANDEF) constituted a seven-member peace committee to mediate between the governor and the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule. The panel, chaired by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), has been given two weeks to submit its report.
PANDEF National Chairman, Dr Godknows Igali, who announced the committee, said it was set up to douse tensions following the lawmakers’ decision last week to issue impeachment notices to Governor Fubara and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct. The lawmakers had given both officials seven days to respond to the allegations.
Other members of the committee include former Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman), former Housing Minister Chief Essien Nduese, retired Federal Permanent Secretary Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari, former DSS Director Chief Mike Ejiofor, former Cross River State Attorney-General Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem (SAN), and Prince Godwin Okotie as Secretary.
In a related development, two members of the Rivers State House of Assembly—Majority Leader Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey, who represents Degema Constituency—appealed to their colleagues to reconsider the impeachment move in the interest of peace.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, Nwankwo said appeals from elders and leaders within and outside the state necessitated an amicable resolution of the crisis. “We are begging our colleagues to temper justice with mercy and explore ways of resolving this matter outside impeachment proceedings,” he said.
Abbey also urged Governor Fubara to avoid further actions that could violate constitutional provisions, stressing that compromise from all sides was essential to restore calm in the state.
Meanwhile, political tensions heightened after supporters of the governor accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of instigating the crisis and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove him from office. However, the North-Central APC Forum rejected the call, describing it as politically motivated and capable of derailing development in Abuja.
The Forum’s chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said Wike should be allowed to continue his work in the FCT, noting that the minister had recorded visible achievements under two years of the Tinubu administration.
Sources also claimed that President Tinubu had intervened in the Rivers impasse following a meeting with Governor Fubara outside the country, reportedly urging the governor to implement agreements reached with the lawmakers. The claim, however, could not be independently verified as of last night.
It was further gathered that Fubara, who has consistently called for calm, travelled to Abuja on Sunday after attending an interdenominational church service marking the Armed Forces Remembrance Day. At the service, the governor vowed to do everything within his power to restore peace in Rivers State.
Despite these efforts, an official of the House of Assembly insisted that the impeachment process would only be halted if the governor implemented the agreements reached with lawmakers. “The only way the Assembly will back down is when the governor fulfils the agreements; otherwise, nobody will save him this time,” the official said.
In inaugurating the peace committee, former Rivers State Governor and Amayanabo of Twon Brass, King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, urged all parties to sheath their swords in the interest of unity and regional stability.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Agabi assured that peace would be restored, stressing that the panel’s role was not to sit in judgment but to facilitate reconciliation. “Sacrifices are called for. Make them and let there be peace,” he appealed.
He warned that a prolonged crisis could undermine public confidence in the leadership of the state and distract from governance, adding that Rivers State’s importance to the nation made urgent reconciliation imperative.
