By Muhammad Mamman
A fresh wave of political tension is building in Nigeria’s Rivers State after a political strategist, Baba Yusuf, accused former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of attempting to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office through impeachment.
Yusuf alleged that Wike’s ultimate goal is to install a loyalist as governor by exploiting constitutional provisions that would come into effect if Fubara were impeached.
“Wike wants to upend Fubara and bring his stooge into office by virtue of impeachment,” Yusuf said in a statement, intensifying an already bitter political rivalry in the oil-rich state.
According to Yusuf, if such an impeachment were to succeed, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, would automatically assume office as acting governor, in line with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.
“If this happens, Amaewhule, who is the Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, will emerge as acting governor as provided by the constitution,” he said.
The political crisis in Rivers State has pitted Governor Fubara against lawmakers widely believed to be loyal to Wike, his former political mentor. The standoff has led to parallel claims of legitimacy within the state legislature and raised concerns about governance and stability.
Neither Wike nor the Rivers State government has officially responded to Yusuf’s claims.
Baba Yusuf, a political strategist and Group Chief Executive Officer of Global Investment and Trade Company, warned that any attempt to remove an elected governor through what he described as political manoeuvring could further polarise the state and undermine democratic institutions.
Rivers State, one of Nigeria’s most economically strategic regions, has a long history of intense political contests, with the latest developments drawing national attention as the crisis continues to unfold.
