The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs) have issued a stark warning that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State represents a serious threat to national peace, constitutional governance, and Nigeria’s still-consolidating democracy.
Addressing journalists at a joint press conference, the groups said their intervention was compelled by what they described as a “solemn patriotic duty to defend constitutional democracy, protect the mandate of the people of Rivers State, and avert a dangerous political precedent.”
“What is unfolding in Rivers State goes far beyond local politics,” the groups declared. “It represents a critical test of Nigeria’s commitment to constitutional governance, separation of powers, and democratic stability.”
The CNPP and CNCSOs insisted that the turmoil did not arise from any failure of governance or constitutional breach by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, but rather from a “calculated political project aimed at seizing control of state power through the manipulation of legislative institutions.”
They warned that if the Rivers State scenario is allowed to stand, the consequences would be far-reaching. “If the Rivers State template is allowed to stand—where a legislature is openly deployed to intimidate, destabilise, and remove a sitting governor for political and financial control—then Nigeria risks sliding into a future where state assemblies across the country become battlegrounds for elite power struggles,” they warned.
The groups drew attention to allegations of conditional political settlements tied to the crisis, citing claims by loyalists of Governor Fubara that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, imposed conditions on the governor in exchange for halting impeachment proceedings.
“Impeachment without just cause is political banditry,” the groups stated, adding that “the continued weaponisation of legislative institutions is a direct threat to Nigeria’s democracy and national peace.”
The CNPP and CNCSOs demanded the immediate termination of impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, independent investigations into the conduct of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a presidential probe into allegations of conditional political settlements, and a comprehensive forensic audit of all funds received and expended during the emergency rule.
“Governor Siminalayi Fubara must be allowed to govern. Rivers State must be allowed to breathe. Nigeria’s democracy must be protected. Enough is enough. Let the Governor govern. Let Rivers State develop. Let Nigeria’s democracy survive,” the groups concluded.
