The All Progressives Congress (APC) South-South Group has alleged that recent impeachment threats against Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara stem from disagreements over the state’s 2026 budget, rather than any breach of a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group made the claim on Friday in Port Harcourt while responding to assertions by some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly that the governor had acted in bad faith and violated the Tinubu-mediated accord aimed at resolving the prolonged political crisis in the state.

Addressing journalists, the APC South-South coordinator, Comrade Freedom Amadi, said the impeachment talk followed Governor Fubara’s refusal to approve certain budgetary provisions proposed by the legislature. According to him, the dispute should not be framed as a constitutional crisis.

“What is unfolding in Rivers State is not, in our view, a constitutional dispute but a political disagreement arising from the budget process,” Amadi said.

“The governor did not breach the President’s peace accord. He declined to approve some items in the budget, and that decision has now escalated tensions between the executive and the legislature.”

Members of the Rivers Assembly had earlier accused the governor of undermining the peace deal and insisted that the legislature retained the constitutional power to initiate impeachment proceedings, regardless of presidential intervention.

Reacting, the APC South-South warned that statements suggesting the President could not influence de-escalation efforts risked aggravating political instability in the state.

“When lawmakers publicly suggest that presidential mediation is irrelevant, it raises concerns about respect for dialogue and institutional balance,” Amadi said, adding that Tinubu’s intervention was intended to restore calm and enable governance.

The group maintained that the peace agreement was designed to promote cooperation among political actors, not to compel the governor to accept legislative positions under pressure.

“It was about restoring stability and ensuring that all arms of government operate within their constitutional boundaries,” Amadi said.

The APC South-South also urged caution against politicising impeachment, describing it as a serious constitutional tool that should not be deployed amid unresolved political disagreements.

“Impeachment is a grave constitutional mechanism and should only be considered in line with due process and clear constitutional provisions,” Amadi noted.

The group called on the Rivers State House of Assembly to suspend impeachment-related actions and appealed to the National Assembly to monitor developments in the interest of democratic stability.

“Political disagreements should be resolved through dialogue, not actions that could further polarise the state,” the group said, stressing the need for restraint to preserve public confidence in democratic institutions.

Vanguard News