Four of the 26 legislative members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have urged their colleagues to exercise restraint over the impeachment notice served on Rivers State Governor Siminalai Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu last week.
Barile Nwakoh (Khana I State Constituency) and Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor II State Constituency), on Wednesday, joined minority leader and member Sylvanus Enyinna Nwankwo, representing Omuma State Constituency, and Peter Abe, representing Degema Constituency, in calling on their colleagues to drop the impeachment process against the governor and his deputy.
The remaining 22 members have not yet indicated any intention to withdraw from the process, to which the state assembly spokesperson, Enemy Alabo George, said, “It is still ongoing”.
The two female MPs, Nwakoh and Amadi, while addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, urged their colleagues to withdraw the impeachment notice served on the governor and his deputy.
The latest development came barely 24 hours after Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey withdrew from the impeachment proceedings.
So far, four of the 26 members of the Assembly who signed the impeachment notice have expressed their intention to step down.
Nwankwo and Abe, in a statement on Monday, urged their colleagues to de-escalate tensions and embrace dialogue and collective wisdom to handle the political situation in the state.
They agreed that Fubara and Odu violated articles of the Constitution, as contained in the impeachment notice, but said the Assembly needed to temper justice with mercy.
Nwankwo and Abe said the paramount interest of Rivers State must be prioritized over partisan considerations, warning that actions capable of destabilizing the polity will only undermine democratic governance and public confidence.
He stressed that knowledge, truth and justice will ultimately prevail, noting that recent developments indicate a change in momentum around the impeachment process.
“Peace of Rivers State is paramount. This is a moment for reflection, dialogue and statesmanship,” he said. He said that history will judge the Assembly on the basis of the choices made at this crucial time.
Observers suggest the assembly may be at a crossroads following public reactions to the impeachment process initiated against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
The intervention of Nwankwo and Abe could equally help the Assembly out of the crisis.
