Rivers-based activist Jake Epelle has declared that any attempt to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara by former governor Nyesom Wike and his loyalists in the state House of Assembly will fail.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Epelle criticized Wike for advocating peace while simultaneously encouraging his loyalists in the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly to remove the governor.
“Let them go and try impeachment; they will not succeed,” Epelle stated. “Nobody will impeach Fubara. I say that openly on national television because he hasn’t committed any impeachable offense. The people are solidly behind him.”
Epelle warned that Fubara’s impeachment would set a dangerous precedent. “If we don’t stem the tide of this chaos, it can happen to any other person. This threat of impeachment should stop.”
The political tension between Wike-backed lawmakers and Fubara remains unresolved. On Wednesday, the governor was denied access to the Assembly Quarters when he arrived to re-present the 2025 budget, as mandated by the House following the Supreme Court ruling of February 28, 2025. While Fubara claimed he had informed Speaker Amaewhule of his visit, the Assembly denied receiving any official communication.
Meanwhile, Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), justified a potential impeachment at a media parley in Abuja, arguing that the Assembly had the right to remove Fubara over alleged offenses, including withholding lawmakers’ salaries for months.
Epelle condemned the Assembly’s actions, accusing them of embarrassing the governor rather than promoting peace. He also faulted Wike for fueling the crisis.
“Wike doesn’t have the constitutional power to impeach a governor. He is not a member of the State Assembly,” Epelle argued. “He has the right to express his personal opinion, but only the Assembly members can execute an impeachment.”
Epelle further alleged external influence on the lawmakers, claiming they received directives from Abuja at the moment Fubara attempted to access the Assembly.
“I was told that when the governor arrived at the gate, Assembly members received a call from Abuja—whoever made that call, I don’t know—telling them not to allow him in,” he revealed. “It’s clear that someone is pulling the strings while the Assembly members dance to the tune. That’s very unfair.”
