₦airaland Forum

by Chinagorom Ugwu


Darlington Orji, the special adviser to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on political affairs, has said the governor did not respond to notice of gross misconduct against him by the state assembly because he has not been served with the notice.

Mr Orji disclosed this on Friday during an interview on AIT, an Abuja-based television station.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the assembly, on 8 January, began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Ngọzi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.

This is the third attempt by the lawmakers to impeach the Rivers governor since he was elected into office in 2023.


Not yet served

Speaking during the programme, Mr Orji said although Mr Fubara heard of the impeachment move against him on the media and social media, he was yet to be served as of Friday.

“As I speak to you today, I can confirm that the Rivers State House of Assembly met on the 8 of January and up until this (Friday) morning, the Governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, has not received a copy of the impeachment notice or notice of gross misconduct,” he said.

The aide argued that the assembly had not complied with the processes of impeachment as provided by the relevant laws.

He further contended that various Nigerian courts, including the country’s Supreme Court had ruled that notice of impeachment and gross misconduct must be served “personally.”

“So, he (Fubara) has not been served. He would have responded because he has nothing to hide,” he stated, insisting that the governor did not violate any law to warrant impeachment.

‘Rivers assembly addressed Fubara as madam’
Mr Orji said Governor Fubara travelled out of Nigeria when the Rivers assembly initiated the impeachment process.

The aide said he only saw a notice of the alleged gross misconduct against Mr Fubara on social media in which the governor was addressed as “madam” instead of “Sir”.

“We felt it was just a mere play because the governor, as far as I know, is a man. The governor will have no reason not to respond if he was properly addressed.

“But that’s not the only reason (for Fubara’s silence). They (lawmakers) have not served him,” he said.

He challenged the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, to show evidence that the lawmakers served the governor if they claimed to have done so.


Lawmakers can’t flout the court order

On Friday, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interim injunction restraining the state assembly and the chief judge from proceeding with the impeachment move against the governor.

Reacting, Mr Orji expressed hope that, as lawmakers, the assembly members would not violate the court order.

“I don’t think they are going to flout it because they know the implications of flouting the order.

“But for me, I know that they’re honourable members and if truly they are honourable members, they will respect the opinion of the court,” the political aide said.

“They can approach the court and ask it to vacate the order.”


Background

On 8 January, Rivers State House of Assembly, began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.

The latest was the third attempt by the lawmakers to impeach the Rivers governor since he was elected into office in 2023.

The impeachment move came shortly after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the governor of reneging on the terms of a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June last year.

A faction of the All Progressives Congress, which is aligned with Mr Fubara, immediately rejected the impeachment plot against the governor, calling for political resolution of the crisis.

The call appeared to have yielded results when four lawmakers withdrew from the impeachment move against Governor Fubara.

On 15 January, the assembly failed to reconvene despite earlier shifting its sitting until the day. This fuelled speculations that the impeachment move might be dropped by the lawmakers.

However, on 16 January, the lawmakers announced that the impeachment process would go on as earlier planned. Even the four lawmakers, who earlier withdrew their support for the impeachment move, have again expressed their support for it.

The assembly subsequently requested the chief judge to set up a panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.

But hours later, the Rivers high court issued the order which restrained the assembly and the chief judge from proceeding with the impeachment process against Rivers governor and his deputy.

Bentacur007:
FUBARA WILL RULE 8 YEARS.. Mark it

dre11:
Impeachment: Real reason Fubara didn’t respond to gross misconduct allegations – Aide



PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu, a professor, on 8 January over alleged gross misconduct.





https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/850163-impeachment-real-reason-fubara-didnt-respond-to-gross-misconduct-allegations-aide.html

Bentacur007:
FUBARA WILL RULE 8 YEARS.. Mark it

Bentacur007:
FUBARA WILL RULE 8 YEARS.. Mark it

bolaayenimo:
Fubara Is a coward. Almost 4 years and no single lawmaker backing him

richiemcgold:
4 good years are about to waste away just like that with no meaningful developments, all because of a useless fight between a useless godfather and useless godson. Rivers state people no get level at all, walahi. How do you people allow just two men to hold a whole state to ransom since 2023? 🤥🤥

Savedday2:
I Know Wike will disgrace SIM because that governor is too soft. Abi na him make them the governor "madam"?

If na me be the governor, for calling me madam, I for mobilize for the speaker to be impeached.

Validated:
If the assembly did not serve him personally, I am sure they failed woefully. However, I think they could have published it in the national newspapers or which kind of impeachment was that?

Like I have said, it looks like Abuja has already ended the matter, so for a soft landing, these noise makers continued the charade as a facade.

Savedday2:
I Know Wike will disgrace SIM because that governor is too soft. Abi na him make them the governor "madam"?

If na me be the governor, for calling me madam, I for mobilize for the speaker to be impeached.

bolaayenimo:
Fubara Is a coward. Almost 4 years and no single lawmaker backing him

Tareq1105:
Wike should leave the guy alone. He should allow him to do what he was elected to do. Yes, you helped him to power but it doesn't mean you should tie his hands and legs. No one rules forever.

Fubara also should behave and carry the house of assembly members along in the running of the state.

He should work with them bcoz they're united and they have the power of impeachment. If they have their way today and impeach him, it's only court that can bring him back.

So, Fubara should apply wisdom and put an end to political unseriousness. He should sit down and govern well. He shouldn't listen to some political actors who are out to create crisis in the state.

If you ask me, the #100,000 he sent to each legislator for Xmas is an insult to them and I don't know who advised fubara to do that. It's unnecessary.

Organize a 2-Day Retreat for Executive and Legislators. Let the progress and development of Rivers State and its people be the team of the retreat. Invite erudite scholars, and mixed with former Govs, Speakers, former Senate president, former speaker house of Reps to give talks.

Present your budget to the House. Accommodate their Constituency projects into the Budget, and release their Allocation to them when they request for it. Even at the Federal level, senators and Reps members do same to Tinubu. They'll add theirs and Tinubu cannot do anything about it.

With these, things will change and the state will witness peace and move forward. Life is about give and take.

This is my own suggestions for the resolution of the crisis.

bolaayenimo:
Fubara Is a coward. Almost 4 years and no single lawmaker backing him