The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State has said that the State cannot allow what it called a legislative coup d’etat.
The APC made this statement while asking the Chief Judge of the state to obey the court order that was recently given by the High Court.
In a statement signed by Darlington Nwauju, the party’s Publicity Secretary, the APC said they have carefully looked into the issues that led to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly deciding to start the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Ordu.
The party said it wondered why its respected members, who proudly showed their support for the President, can supposedly allow themselves to take part in what they called a planned legislative coup against the party’s shared goals, progress, and development in the state.
“We are warning once more that this is unnecessary action, as we have seen the refusal from members of the House of Assembly, including those from the APC, to cooperate.
“It is well known that the Legislature has the power, according to Sections 129 and 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), to carry out impeachment.
“As the ruling party in Rivers State, we are also aware that paragraph (11) of Section 188 is subject to political interpretation by the Legislature. This is because that paragraph is not normative or objective.
“The definition of what constitutes ‘gross misconduct’ is something that only the Legislature can decide. No matter how well-written the accusations against the Governor and his Deputy are, they still remain personal opinions in the eyes of the public.
“The choice made by the legislative branch is a risky addition to the health and future of the APC in Rivers State.
“Meanwhile, we urge the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State to respect the interim injunction issued yesterday in Suit No OYHC/7/CS/2026, which stopped him from accepting or acting on the resolutions passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Finally, we urge the national leadership of the party to act right away and use the internal processes outlined in Article 21(b)(iii) of the 2022 Constitution (as amended) to prevent our beloved party from facing a difficult and shameful situation,” it stated.
