Socio-political activist, Aisha Yesufu has criticised the renewed impeachment move by the Rivers State House of Assembly against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing the development as deeply troubling and a distraction from real governance.
Reacting to reports that lawmakers in the state assembly are once again moving to impeach the governor, Yesufu said governance in Rivers State has been reduced to “childish politics,” where the interests of ordinary citizens are being sacrificed on the altar of power struggles, ego, and self-interest.
According to her, while residents of the state grapple with rising living costs, unemployment, poor road infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and growing insecurity, some lawmakers appear more interested in internal political battles than in delivering meaningful governance.
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Yesufu also highlighted what she described as a fundamental democratic flaw in Nigeria’s electoral framework, particularly regarding the recall of elected legislators.
She noted that although the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022 provide for the recall of state assembly members, the requirement that over 50 per cent of registered voters must sign a recall petition makes accountability almost impossible in practice.
She explained that Nigeria’s voters’ register is deeply flawed, citing admissions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the register contains names of deceased persons, relocated voters, and other ineligible entries.
According to her, past voter registration cleanup exercises using biometric systems have revealed alarmingly high levels of invalid registrations, in some cases nearly half of new entries before verification.
“This means the benchmark of ‘50 per cent of registered voters’ does not reflect the living, active electorate,” Yesufu argued, adding that the figure is artificially inflated by outdated and inaccurate data.
She stressed that until the voters’ register is thoroughly cleaned, revalidated, and linked to reliable identity systems, recall will remain an illusion, shielding elected officials from accountability.
Yesufu suggested that if recall thresholds were based on actual votes cast or verified active registrants, lawmakers would be more accountable and less inclined to prioritise factional interests over public welfare.
She warned that legislators who serve the ambitions of political elites rather than representing the people and protecting their interests have no moral justification to remain in office.
“The people of Rivers State deserve leaders who place public interest above personal ego,” she said. “They deserve accountability, integrity, and real governance. Anything less is a betrayal of the trust placed in them.”
