Two Rivers Lawmakers Back Out Of Fubara’s Impeachment Plot
Two members of the Rivers state house of assembly on Monday, appealed to their colleagues to halt the ongoing impeachment process against Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy.
One of the lawmakers, Sylvanus Nwankwo, the House minority leader who represents Omuma state constituency, while speaking at a press conference, asked the parliament to “temper justice with mercy” and explore alternatives to Fubara’s removal from office.
“We have called this press conference to appeal to our colleagues to temper justice with mercy and to see how we can resolve this matter apart from impeachment proceedings,” he said.
“That is why we are here this morning to appeal to the conscience of our fellow colleagues. Having listened to so many pleas, calls from our elders and leaders, both within and outside the state, begging for leniency
“We are begging, calling on our colleagues to reconsider our step and see how this matter can be resolved amicably, even though the governor and deputy governor have infringed on the constitution, but we are appealing to them to reconsider our stand.”
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The other lawmaker, Peter Abbey, who represents Degema state constituency, echoed the call for restraint, describing the situation as one that requires a human approach.
“He [Fubara] has infringed on parts of the constitution, but we are human beings, and we, as members of the 10th assembly, want to plead with our colleagues to please reconsider,” he said.
Abbey said the governor also has a responsibility to de-escalate the crisis by ensuring that there are no further constitutional breaches, which he said could pave the way for a peaceful settlement.
“The governor, too, has a role to play; he must ensure he does not infringe further on the constitution. That will bring an amicable settlement to the whole thing,” he said.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the assembly on Thursday, commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
