Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside civil society organisations and media professionals, have called on the National Assembly to assume the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, arguing that the state legislature has “lost credibility and legitimacy” in the midst of a protracted impeachment crisis involving Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The appeal was made during a rally on Friday, January 23, 2026, at the APC Secretariat in Abuja.
The groups, which included the APC Leaders’ Forum, civil society actors and representatives of media professional bodies, demanded that lawmakers invoke Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution to take over the legislative responsibilities of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
They characterised the ongoing impeachment efforts as a reckless abuse of legislative powers rather than genuine oversight, warning that continuing on the current course could undermine democratic governance in the state.
Addressing journalists, the APC Leaders’ Forum spokesperson, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka, said the impeachment process had crossed the threshold of legitimate legislative oversight and become a vendetta intended to destabilise governance.
“This is no longer oversight—it’s a vendetta to destabilise governance. Silence now is complicity,” he said, urging urgent federal intervention to restore constitutional order.
The Coalition criticised the Rivers State House of Assembly for what it called procedural lawlessness and “reckless attempts” to impeach the governor and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, calling the assembly’s actions politically motivated and lacking credible evidence of gross misconduct.
They asserted that the impeachment move has eroded public confidence in the legislature’s ability to function impartially.
Civil society convener Comrade Ifeanyi Okorie and media professional representative Mr Collins Akpofure echoed concerns about a looming constitutional crisis, insisting that the impeachment drive had shifted from legislative oversight into political vendetta.
They called on the National Assembly to act swiftly to avert further escalation.
The coalition also commended the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, for refusing to constitute a judicial panel requested by the state assembly to investigate alleged gross misconduct by Fubara and his deputy.
The groups described the refusal as a bold affirmation of the rule of law and a necessary rejection of attempts to bypass judicial authority.
The Rivers political crisis intensified after lawmakers initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and Prof. Odu, with the legislature alleging gross misconduct.
The state chief judge declined to set up an investigative panel, citing subsisting court orders that restrained action on the impeachment request.
APC leaders and allied groups argued that the legislature’s actions have plunged Rivers State into a dangerous constitutional crisis and that the National Assembly must step in to uphold democratic norms.
They vowed to sustain their advocacy until federal lawmakers act to protect constitutional governance and prevent what they described as an erosion of democratic principles in the state.
