Niger Delta rights activist, Annkio Briggs, has stated that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have no authority to dictate who the people of the state should vote for, stressing that sovereignty lies firmly with the electorate.
Briggs made this assertion on Thursday while speaking on Politics Today, a political programme aired on Channels Television, as she reacted to the ongoing impeachment crisis involving the Rivers State House of Assembly and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
According to her, the ultimate power to determine who governs Rivers State rests with the people, not elected lawmakers. She maintained that the will of Rivers residents is clear, insisting that the majority want Governor Fubara to remain in office — even beyond the expiration of his current tenure in 2027.
“What I’m concerned about is that the people of Rivers State have the final say, and not the members of the State House of Assembly,” Briggs said. “Unfortunately, the Assembly members do not seem to understand that this power does not belong to them; it belongs to the people of Rivers State.”
The activist also issued a caution to the Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that Governor Fubara has reportedly been received into the ruling party, alongside members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
She warned the APC to tread carefully, especially as it prepares for upcoming elections, stressing the importance of respecting democratic principles and public sentiment in the Niger Delta.
“The APC must be very careful. It is going into elections next year, and it needs to be mindful of how it seeks to win, how it plans to secure the votes of the Niger Delta as a whole, and particularly the votes of Rivers people,” Briggs said.
Her comments come amid heightened political tension in Rivers State, as debates continue over the legality, morality, and political implications of the impeachment moves against Governor Fubara.
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