Politics
INC Protests Over Fubara Impeachment Plot
The Ijaw National Congress says the people of Rivers State are against the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, warning the state Assembly loyal to ex-governor, Nyesom Wike, to shelve the plan.
Similarly, the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council strongly condemned the Martin Amaewhule-led state House of Assembly over its ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The groups warned that the move is likely to fail and accused the lawmakers of pursuing selfish interests under the guise of constitutional procedure.
The INC described the impeachment as an exercise in futility, criticising lawmakers, particularly those of Ijaw extraction, who publicly supported the process despite Governor Fubara being one of their own.
In a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said the actions of some Assembly members amounted to betrayal.
“Yes, I’m very positive that at the end of the day it will all turn out to be a futile exercise,” Okaba said. “There is public outcry against them within and outside Rivers State because it is obvious that this is a clear case of vendetta using the instrumentality of impeachment.
It is not about the growth of democracy and development; it is all about personal interest above the interest of the state.” He criticised four lawmakers who initially withdrew from the impeachment process, only to reverse their position within 48 hours, saying it reflects a lack of principles:
“Some Ijaw brothers in the House came out to say they are Ijaw people and that they support the impeachment. People have asked me, don’t you consider that Ijaw people in the House are supporting it? My answer is no. They are not speaking for Ijaw people. They have not consulted their constituents, and they lack Ijaw spirituality and consciousness.”
Okaba also condemned lawmakers’ alleged acceptance of public funds and benefits while pursuing impeachment:
“Take for instance the issue of supplementary materials. These same persons have collected vehicles worth N350 million while they were on suspension with some cases being given to all of them. That Greek gift was collected in the public domain and nobody has refuted that. All of this shows it is about self-interest.”
He accused Assembly Speaker, Amaewhule, of orchestrating the impeachment to position himself for a future governorship: “Somebody is desperate to be governor by all means and therefore orchestrating impeachment. The Speaker should be told: when your time comes, contest; not to rubbish a system to become governor from the backdoor.”
Okaba emphasised that the deputy governor, Odu, had done nothing to warrant impeachment:
“Let’s say the governor fumbled, what did the deputy governor do that you’re also including her? All these displays of selfishness will not work. It will take our democracy several years back if allowed.”
Supporting INC’s position, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council and pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, said the impeachment was embarrassing to President Bola Tinubu and the people of Rivers State.
“It is very obvious that the Assembly members are showing ingratitude to Mr. President and also to Rivers people. They think they are fighting Sim Fubara; no, they are fighting Rivers people. All they are trying to do is to stall development in the state,” Sara-Igbe said.
Sara-Igbe further criticised lawmakers for failing to respect the emergency rule imposed in the state, which brought in federal oversight following political unrest.
He alleged the lawmakers had already benefited financially during that period:
“If they can do something that made a stranger come and lavish our resources for six months and that is not enough, they still want to impeach the governor. Let them go ahead. But they should realise they are not fighting Sim; they are fighting Rivers people, and Rivers State will react appropriately.”
He also took aim at Minister Nyesom Wike for engaging in early political campaigning under the guise of ‘thank you’ visits, describing it as disrespectful to the President and the state:
“They said they have an agreement. I challenge them to publish the agreement they have that Sim refused to implement. If the agreement is in the interest of the state, let them publish it. Rivers people, as far as we are concerned, Sim is going for a second tenure whether they like it or not.”
Sara-Igbe warned that the impeachment could destabilize the state, region, and country if continued:
“The impeachment will hit the rocks. The process takes a long way, and as soon as the seven-man panel comes up to say the man is not guilty, that is the end of it. They cannot harass him with impeachment anymore. Rivers people are tired of their gimmick, we are tired of their tricks.”
He concluded with a caution to Wike and his supporters:
“What they are doing will trigger problems in the state, in the region, and in the country. So they should think well. If they continue with the impeachment, I wish them well. But at the end of the day, the impeachment will fail. And if it fails, that’s the end of impeachment.”
The INC and Rivers elders’ warnings come amid a politically charged atmosphere in Rivers State, where impeachment proceedings have deepened divisions within the House of Assembly and sparked wider debate over governance, accountability, and political ambition.
The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Yahaya Usman, have taken legal action to challenge the outcome of the chairmanship election held in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Daily voice reports that the election took place on February 21, 2026, across 10 wards and 338 polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner after he secured 22,165 votes, while Usman polled 17,788 votes.
Not satisfied with the result, the APC and its candidate filed a petition before the election tribunal.
The case, marked FCT/ACEPT/EP/02/2026, seeks to overturn the declaration of the PDP candidate.
In the petition, the party and its candidate claimed that the election did not follow the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
They also alleged the presence of corrupt practices and argued that the declared winner did not obtain the highest number of valid votes.
They stated that several irregularities occurred during the election process.
According to them, results in at least six polling units across Kutunku, Ibwa, Tungan Maje, and Ikwa wards were altered. They claimed figures were changed to match the number of accredited voters and to hide cases of over-voting.
The petition also reported cases where entries on result sheets were tampered with.
It stated that cancellations and changes were made in some polling units, raising concerns about the credibility of the figures recorded.
In addition, the APC alleged that in two polling units, votes recorded for its candidate were reduced during the collation process.
The party further claimed that more than 100 polling units were affected by failure to follow electoral rules.
It also pointed to eight polling units where officials allegedly changed figures by erasing and rewriting results on official documents.
Another issue raised in the petition involved voter accreditation. The petitioners said that in 71 polling units across six wards, officials failed to properly mark voters’ details in the register as required, yet the votes from those units were still counted.
They also identified cases of over-voting in 31 polling units, where the number of votes recorded was higher than the number of accredited voters. Based on this, they argued that thousands of votes recorded for both parties in those areas should be cancelled.
After removing the disputed figures, the APC calculated that it would have 16,499 valid votes, while the PDP candidate would have 18,929 votes, leaving a difference of 2,430 votes.
The petition added that the gap between both candidates is smaller than the number of registered voters in the affected polling units. Based on this, the party argued that the result should not stand and called for the cancellation of the election outcome.
The APC and its candidate have asked the tribunal to void the result declared by the electoral body and determine who actually won the election inBREAKING: APC Drags PDP To Courts
The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Yahaya Usman, have taken legal action to challenge the outcome of the chairmanship election held in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Daily voice reports that the election took place on February 21, 2026, across 10 wards and 338 polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner after he secured 22,165 votes, while Usman polled 17,788 votes.
Not satisfied with the result, the APC and its candidate filed a petition before the election tribunal.
The case, marked FCT/ACEPT/EP/02/2026, seeks to overturn the declaration of the PDP candidate.
In the petition, the party and its candidate claimed that the election did not follow the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
They also alleged the presence of corrupt practices and argued that the declared winner did not obtain the highest number of valid votes.
They stated that several irregularities occurred during the election process.
According to them, results in at least six polling units across Kutunku, Ibwa, Tungan Maje, and Ikwa wards were altered. They claimed figures were changed to match the number of accredited voters and to hide cases of over-voting.
The petition also reported cases where entries on result sheets were tampered with.
It stated that cancellations and changes were made in some polling units, raising concerns about the credibility of the figures recorded.
In addition, the APC alleged that in two polling units, votes recorded for its candidate were reduced during the collation process.
The party further claimed that more than 100 polling units were affected by failure to follow electoral rules.
It also pointed to eight polling units where officials allegedly changed figures by erasing and rewriting results on official documents.
Another issue raised in the petition involved voter accreditation. The petitioners said that in 71 polling units across six wards, officials failed to properly mark voters’ details in the register as required, yet the votes from those units were still counted.
They also identified cases of over-voting in 31 polling units, where the number of votes recorded was higher than the number of accredited voters. Based on this, they argued that thousands of votes recorded for both parties in those areas should be cancelled.
After removing the disputed figures, the APC calculated that it would have 16,499 valid votes, while the PDP candidate would have 18,929 votes, leaving a difference of 2,430 votes.
The petition added that the gap between both candidates is smaller than the number of registered voters in the affected polling units. Based on this, the party argued that the result should not stand and called for the cancellation of the election outcome.
The APC and its candidate have asked the tribunal to void the result declared by the electoral body and determine who actually won the election in line with the law. line with the law.
Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, a prominent Nigerian cleric, has warned that the country’s 2027 general elections could be declared inconclusive due to violence
If election-related furies are not properly dealt with, they could hinder the declaration of results and precipitate a constitutional crisis, explained Primate Ayodele Nigeria’s general elections will be held on January 16, 2027, to elect the president, vice president, senators, representatives, governors, and state assembly members.
As Nigerians look ahead to the 2027 elections, Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder and leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Oke Afa, Lagos, has prophesied that although the polls will proceed as scheduled, they will face significant challenges.
Dailyvoice.ng reports that in a prophecy shared on the church’s official Facebook page on Tuesday, March 17, the cleric described the 2027 polls as high-stakes, “a make-or-mar election” for Nigeria.
The religious leader warned that if the 2027 elections are not properly managed, they could lead to the collapse of three of the four major political parties: the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He said:
“If care is not taken, the 2027 election will be declared inconclusive. The aura surrounding the date of the election is not good for the poll. So, the election will be full of crises.”
Primate Ayodele added:
“If the 2027 election is not managed properly, it might lead to the end of APC, PDP, and ADC. There are external forces that want to disrupt the election; they consider the election a do-or-die. That is what they plan.”
Meanwhile, Primate Ayodele prophesied that the polls will be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian judiciary.
In a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, and signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric claimed that the voters will not have a serious impact in the election.
Ayodele stated that there will be a misinterpretation of the Electoral Act and Nigeria’s constitution regarding the conduct of the election. He warned of a post-election crisis, especially the presidential election.
Ayodele said:
“The judiciary and INEC will pay for the coming election dearly because the electoral commission will face embarrassment and humiliation. The INEC will be involved in electoral malpractices in 2027. “We will hear about hacking and internet disruption towards the election. INEC and Judiciary will conclude the election, don’t expect much from voters.”
Earlier, Dailyvoice.ng reported that Primate Ayodele issued a notable warning to Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and Nwakuche Ndidi, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Ayodele cautioned that both presidential appointees could be removed from office if they are not careful, claiming that the Customs chief and the NCoS head have been earmarked for dismissal by President Bola Tinubu before the end of the current administration.
A Nigerian businessman and social media personality, Isaac Fayose, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will struggle to secure meaningful votes in Nigeria’s South-East region during the 2027 presidential election.
Fayose made the statement while reacting to the recent political mobilisation by the City Boys Movement in Imo State. The group, which is widely associated with Seyi Tinubu, had visited the state earlier in the week as part of efforts to build grassroots support for President Tinubu ahead of the next general election.
The gathering reportedly took place in Owerri and featured the presence of several public figures, including socialite and businessman Pascal Okechukwu. However, the outing quickly drew criticism online after images and videos circulated on social media suggesting a modest turnout at the event.
Reacting to the development on his Facebook page, Fayose mocked the rally and questioned the level of support the president enjoys in the South-East.
He wrote, “The city boys movement outing in Owerri Imo state yesterday was a show of shame …
Security operatives wey Dey there pass the crowd.”
The businessman went further to challenge supporters of the president, insisting that Tinubu would struggle to secure a significant share of votes from the region if the election is conducted fairly.
“I am ready to bet any of them with 10 million naira. President Tinubu won’t get 20% of the total vote cast come 2027”.
The South-East region has historically recorded low electoral support for Tinubu’s political platform. During the 2023 presidential election, voting patterns across several states in the zone showed overwhelming backing for opposition candidates.
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