The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and governors elected on its platform have vowed to stand by their fellow member and governor, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State against the ongoing impeachment plot against him.
The governors would converge at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in the state and issue a strongly worded communique against those behind the plot to unseat Fubara.
This is as the party has also contacted the governor to assure him of its support noting that external influence to change the state of things would be rebuffed and rejected, a member of the national executive committee has said on Tuesday.
The party in the coming days would also meet with the governor on the matter, this outlet has learnt.
The PDP Governors Forum on its part is expected to assure Fubara of its “full support and commitment to stand by him” as the “state is PDP; Rivers is PDP and shall remain so,” a former senator who’s an ally of one of the governors has said on Tuesday morning.
He quoted a member of the forum as saying, “nobody impeaches Fubara” as he was “elected by the people.”
He said the governors would dialogue and advise Fubara on how to manage the crisis even as they support all the moves, he has made so far to fight the impeachment plot against him.
The governor had on Monday addressed the state after he said he came under attack by the police while going to the Assembly complex that was burnt on Sunday night.
He vowed to resist any external influence saying, “It doesn’t matter how one dies.”
Soon after, some members loyal to his predecessor and minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, staged impeachment sitting in a makeshift hall and issued a letter of impeachment against the governor.
They had removed the majority house leader, Edison Ehie, who is said to be loyal to the governor.
But members loyal to the governor immediately sworn in Ehie, who also suspended Chibuzor Amadi, the chief judge of the state said to be loyal to Wike.
Hours later, Fubara dissolved all local government chairpersons.
He also announced the dissolution of the state executive council.
Wike, who is being blamed for the crisis, has not responded to the allegation. His phone lines have been switched off as efforts to contact him have yielded no result.
The PDP governors are also expected to meet Fubara who has exercised lukewarm commitment to the affairs of the party since Wike, who anointed him as governor fell out with the party.
The former governor has retained his membership of the PDP despite being a serving minister in the All Progressives Congress, APC