Politics
‘Brazen affront on Ijaw nation,’ IYC, INC warn against plot to remove Gov Fubara
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and the Ijaw National Congress (INC) in separate statements on Tuesday, vowed to resist any attempt to impeach Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Alaye Theophilus, IYC President Worldwide, threatened that the group will shut down all the flow stations in the Niger Delta in response to any forceful attempt to remove Governor Fubara from office.
Thus is as he also cautioned those he said were bent on destabilising the Rivers State government to tread with caution.
According to Alaye, the warning has become necessary after appraising the recent Supreme Court judgement nullifying the Rivers 2024 Local Government Elections, and ordering the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop releasing FAAC money to the state government and ordering Governor Fubara to re-present the 2025 Budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
The IYC boss further argued that the grounds on which the jurists of the Supreme Court nullified the Rivers State LGA elections are very provocative and laughable, as other states equally relied on the 2023 INEC voters’ register to conduct their elections.
Alaye also claimed that the Supreme Court verdict on the Rivers State crisis has confirmed that a recent threat that a tsunami will soon rock Rivers State shows that the apex court is working hand in glove with certain persons to destroy the state.
“The Supreme Court verdict is a purchased judgement to please and favour certain interests. Rivers State, a major contributor to the national coffers, should not be starved of funds from their God-given natural endowment. The apex court should review the judgement.
“It has agitated the youths of Ijaw nation who have maintained peace in the Niger Delta and supported the President Tinubu-led Federal Government.
“It was the quest of the then NPN government to take over opposition-controlled states that led to the military takeover in 1983. The Tinubu-led Federal Government should not create situations that will destroy the current democratic experience.
“Those threatening impeachment against Governor Fubara should be careful because any forceful attempt to remove Fubara from office will be stoutly resisted by the IYC as youths of Ijaw nation will be left with no other options than to shut down all the flow stations in the Niger Delta,” he warned in a statement issued in Abuja.
Alaye described the attacks and the Supreme Court verdict as a brazen affront on the Ijaw nation.
Ijaw National Congress Condemns Supreme Court Ruling
Similarly, the the Ijaw National Congress (INC) on Tuesday, condemned the Supreme Court’s decision nullifying the recently conducted local government elections in Rivers State.
The group also warned against any attempt to impeach Fubara, stating that such an action could threaten the peace of the Niger Delta region.
The INC emphasised that Fubara’s impeachment could destabilise national peace and economic stability, particularly in the oil-and-gas-rich region.
The congress further expressed concerns that the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday, which affirmed the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, could plunge the entire region into crisis.
The INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, in a statement made available to journalists, warned that the Ijaw in Rivers State must not be politically sidelined.
He noted that the issue of political exclusion extends beyond Rivers State to other states such as Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom, where Ijaw continue to face marginalisation.
Prof. Okaba also criticised the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rivers political crisis, arguing that it failed to acknowledge the historical and political sacrifices made by the Ijaw people in the governance of Rivers State.
He emphasised that the Ijaw people have played a crucial role in shaping the state’s leadership for decades, stating, “In 1999, an Ijaw leader, Chief Marshall Harry, was instrumental in securing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Dr. Peter Odili, despite a formidable challenge from Sergeant Awuse. Harry further ensured Odili’s victory against a Kalabari opponent, Chief Ebenezer Isokariari of the All Peoples Party (APP).”
Prof. Okaba continued, “In 2003, the INC recalls that when Marshall Harry backed Sergeant Awuse’s governorship ambition, it was not Awuse but Harry himself who was assassinated, marking a painful loss for the Ijaw people. By 2007, Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a decisive role in securing victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warlord, was killed during Omehia’s swearing-in to prevent security breaches.”
He further recalled, “In 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of then-President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead.”
The INC leader asserted that despite these sacrifices, a political elite from the Ikwerre ethnic group is now seeking to frustrate the first riverine governor in decades.
He declared that the Ijaw nation would defend Governor Fubara “with every pint of blood in their veins.”
Prof. Okaba also cautioned that while the INC has worked tirelessly to preserve peace in the Niger Delta — leading to increased oil production and national revenue — the same resources are now being used to marginalise the Ijaw people.
He therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, stressing that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State must not be treated as ordinary politics.
He warned that the Ijaw people, numbering over 40 million worldwide, would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their place in Nigerian politics.
