The Legislative Council of Bekwarra Local Government Area, Cross River State, has impeached its chairman, Hon. Theresa Ushie, citing gross misconduct, financial mismanagement, and abuse of office.
The impeachment, which took place on Wednesday, March 20, 2025, was announced by the Council Leader, Hon. Thompson Inah, who declared that Ushie’s leadership style had stifled development and contradicted Governor Prince Bassey Otu’s “People First” policy.
The councillors accused Ushie — popularly referred to as the “Queen of Bekwarra Nation” — of running the local government without transparency, executing projects without due process, and mishandling council funds. Among the accusations were allegations that she rerouted council salaries through an inaccessible bank, denied councillors proper office spaces, and misappropriated Christmas palliatives meant for residents. Reports also surfaced of physical altercations involving Ushie and her family members.
The council noted that several attempts at reconciliation, including interventions from community stakeholders, failed as Ushie allegedly refused to address the grievances. In a decisive move, nine out of ten councillors signed the impeachment notice, fulfilling the requirements of the Cross River State Local Government Law.
The legislative body has formally communicated the impeachment to key state authorities, including Governor Bassey Otu and Acting Governor Rt. Hon. Peter Odey.
It remains to be seen how the state government will respond to the sudden leadership shakeup in Bekwarra.
