Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, has publicly stated that current Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara should be impeached if he is found to have violated the constitution. Wike made these remarks during a media chat held in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasizing that politics is a serious endeavor and that impeaching a governor for constitutional breaches is not a criminal act.

"Politics is not play," Wike asserted. "If you have committed an offense to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offense? It’s provided in the constitution. Am I a member of the Assembly?" He further elaborated that if the Rivers State Assembly deems it necessary to impeach Fubara due to a constitutional infraction, such actions should not be met with undue alarm. "I have heard people say, ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order.’ Rubbish! Nothing will happen," Wike stated, dismissing concerns about potential unrest.

Wike also addressed the controversy surrounding the legislative process in Rivers State, particularly the role of a small number of lawmakers. He questioned the legitimacy of laws passed by only a few members of the House, stating, "I cannot believe that in this country, we are now at the point where Nigerians are talking about where three members of the House will sit and make a law, and they are talking about going to the Supreme Court."

Drawing on his experience as a former governor, Wike emphasized the importance of mutual respect and collaboration between governors and state assembly members. "Speakers and Assembly members are not our children; they were elected; they are not your boys or your girls," he noted. "You sit with them and play with them. I traveled with my Speakers, and I created relationships. It’s not a master-servant thing."

These statements come against the backdrop of ongoing political tensions in Rivers State, stemming from a conflict between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike. The Supreme Court recently affirmed judgments related to the state's political crisis, including barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers State and nullifying the local government election held in October 2024. Fubara had pledged to comply with the Supreme Court's decisions and recently invited members of the House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, to a meeting aimed at resolving the assembly crisis that began in 2023.

However, Wike has been critical of Fubara's approach, particularly his decision to formally write to the House of Assembly, suggesting that a direct call to Amaewhule would have been more appropriate. He described the letter as "useless."

Adding to the political discourse, Tony Okocha, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has called on Fubara to resign or face impeachment proceedings, citing the Supreme Court's ruling on the state's political situation as final. Okocha characterized Fubara's invitation to the Amaewhule-led assembly faction as a "Greek gift."

The political landscape in Rivers State remains fraught with tension and uncertainty as key figures express differing views on the appropriate course of action amid the ongoing crisis.