The situation involving the potential impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Rivers State escalated as the days passed. A video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) depicted law enforcement officers using teargas and water cannons on Governor Fubara while he was walking along a road in Port Harcourt. He was accompanied by a small group of security personnel, and some civilians, who appeared to be the governor’s political supporters, also walked alongside him. Despite the police’s use of teargas and water cannons, the governor remained undeterred. He was dressed in a brown ascot cap and a grey T-shirt. It is unclear where he was headed and why the police were taking such actions. In the video, a voice from the background can be heard shouting, “You are attacking the governor of Rivers State? Rivers State governor under attack!”

“Nothing must happen to our governor!”

Mr Fubara and his security aides kept walking for some minutes amidst the chaos until they walked into a building where the governor stopped to address the press.

“Let me say this, the good people of Rivers State. It is very very unfortunate that we should be experiencing this kind of thing again, about nine years ago when he had a similar experience,” the governor said, with his eyes looking reddish and teary.

“I got distressing information very late yesterday, and I said this morning I will come and see for myself. Everybody who knows me knows that I am a peaceful person. I can never ever, for any reason, even if I am aware that there is a plot to impeach me for whatever reason, I am not bothered about it. But I am worried that a facility like this that we used taxpayers’ money to build could be destroyed for selfish reasons just to please somebody.”

It appeared Mr Fubara was talking about an implosion that went off the House of Assembly Complex in Port Harcourt on Sunday night, hours before the lawmakers were set to begin impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Mr Fubara said security in Rivers State had been compromised. “They were shooting at me directly. But it doesn’t matter, somebody will die one day,” he said.

“I am not planning anything against anybody, but I don’t know where all things are coming from,” he added.

Rift with Wike?

Channels TV reports that there has been a rumour of a rift between Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Mr Wike, against all the odds, had helped Mr Fubara, a former accountant general of the state, to succeed him as Rivers governor. Mr Fubara was not known to be involved in active politics before he contested and won the March 2023 governorship election in the state.