Darlington Orji, the special adviser to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on political affairs, has said the governor did not respond to notice of gross misconduct against him by the state assembly because he has not been served with the notice.
Mr Orji disclosed this on Friday during an interview on AIT, an Abuja-based television station.
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PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the assembly, on 8 January, began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Ngọzi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.
This is the third attempt by the lawmakers to impeach the Rivers governor since he was elected into office in 2023.
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Not yet served
Speaking during the programme, Mr Orji said although Mr Fubara heard of the impeachment move against him on the media and social media, he was yet to be served as of Friday.
“As I speak to you today, I can confirm that the Rivers State House of Assembly met on the 8 of January and up until this (Friday) morning, the Governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, has not received a copy of the impeachment notice or notice of gross misconduct,” he said.
The aide argued that the assembly had not complied with the processes of impeachment as provided by the relevant laws.
He further contended that various Nigerian courts, including the country’s Supreme Court had ruled that notice of impeachment and gross misconduct must be served “personally.”
“So, he (Fubara) has not been served. He would have responded because he has nothing to hide,” he stated, insisting that the governor did not violate any law to warrant impeachment.
‘Rivers assembly addressed Fubara as madam’
Mr Orji said Governor Fubara travelled out of Nigeria when the Rivers assembly initiated the impeachment process.
The aide said he only saw a notice of the alleged gross misconduct against Mr Fubara on social media in which the governor was addressed as “madam” instead of “Sir”.
“We felt it was just a mere play because the governor, as far as I know, is a man. The governor will have no reason not to respond if he was properly addressed.
“But that’s not the only reason (for Fubara’s silence). They (lawmakers) have not served him,” he said.
He challenged the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, to show evidence that the lawmakers served the governor if they claimed to have done so.
Lawmakers can’t flout the court order
On Friday, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interim injunction restraining the state assembly and the chief judge from proceeding with the impeachment move against the governor.
Reacting, Mr Orji expressed hope that, as lawmakers, the assembly members would not violate the court order.
“I don’t think they are going to flout it because they know the implications of flouting the order.
“But for me, I know that they’re honourable members and if truly they are honourable members, they will respect the opinion of the court,” the political aide said.
“They can approach the court and ask it to vacate the order.”
Background
On 8 January, Rivers State House of Assembly, began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.
The latest was the third attempt by the lawmakers to impeach the Rivers governor since he was elected into office in 2023.
The impeachment move came shortly after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the governor of reneging on the terms of a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June last year.
A faction of the All Progressives Congress, which is aligned with Mr Fubara, immediately rejected the impeachment plot against the governor, calling for political resolution of the crisis.
The call appeared to have yielded results when four lawmakers withdrew from the impeachment move against Governor Fubara.
On 15 January, the assembly failed to reconvene despite earlier shifting its sitting until the day. This fuelled speculations that the impeachment move might be dropped by the lawmakers.
READ ALSO: Rivers assembly says chief judge received request to probe Fubara despite court order
However, on 16 January, the lawmakers announced that the impeachment process would go on as earlier planned. Even the four lawmakers, who earlier withdrew their support for the impeachment move, have again expressed their support for it.
The assembly subsequently requested the chief judge to set up a panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
But hours later, the Rivers high court issued the order which restrained the assembly and the chief judge from proceeding with the impeachment process against Rivers governor and his deputy.
