The Rivers State House of Assembly has reaffirmed its intention to proceed with impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, lawmakers confirmed on Thursday, amid deep political tensions in the oil‑producing state.
Lawmakers began the impeachment process earlier in January after reading a notice of alleged gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The allegations include refusal to present the 2026 appropriation bill on time and other claims of constitutional breaches, which the legislature says warrant further action under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
Speaking on a national television programme, the House spokesperson, Dr. Enemi George, said the assembly would not be swayed by what he termed repeated attempts to halt the process through political appeals.
He emphasised that lawmakers were acting on legal grounds rather than external pressure, saying previous negotiations had failed to resolve issues.
“We’ve had one too many political solutions … what we’re dealing with now is the law,” George said.
The impeachment move was formally initiated in a plenary session where lawmakers alleged that the governor and his deputy had breached governance norms by deliberately failing to meet constitutional requirements on budget presentation and other matters.
The assembly reportedly plans to serve the impeachment notice within a constitutionally mandated timeframe as proceedings unfold.
The development has drawn mixed reactions across the state. A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers has urged assembly members to resist moves that it said could destabilise governance, rejecting the impeachment plot as linked to internal party and political rivalries.
Meanwhile, some civic groups have criticised the impeachment approach, arguing that the notice and allegations may not meet constitutional thresholds for removal from office.
A watchdog group said its review found the impeachment notice lacked sufficient evidence of gross misconduct capable of sustaining the proceedings.
Other organisations, including the Ijaw Youth Council, have condemned the impeachment bid, accusing political actors outside the assembly of influencing events and calling for a halt to actions they see as contrary to the will of Rivers people.
Despite these competing voices, the assembly maintains it will continue the process. Lawmakers previously adjourned after launching the impeachment notice and are expected to reconvene as tensions persist.
The ongoing situation marks another chapter in the protracted political crisis that has gripped Rivers State, shaped by disputes between the governor and factions within the state’s political leadership.
Observers say the outcomes may have implications for governance stability and political alignments in the run‑up to the 2027 general elections.
