UPDATED: Again, Rivers assembly begins impeachment proceeding against Fubara

The Rivers House of Assembly has begun another impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

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The impeachment proceedings, which started on Thursday, were based on allegations of misconduct against the governor and his deputy, Ngọzi Odu.

The Thursday’s proceeding was broadcast live on Channels TV and monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

The impeachment proceedings

At Thursday’s proceedings presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read out the notice of gross misconduct against the governor.

Mr Jack, who represents Akuku-Toru I Constituency, read out eight points of alleged gross misconduct against Governor Fubara.

The lawmaker said the notice and impeachment process was in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended.

He stated that the notice, dated 5 January 2026, was signed by 26 lawmakers.

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The allegations of gross misconduct included the demolition of the assembly complex, unapproved budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Rivers Assembly Service Commission, refusal to obey the Supreme Court’s ruling on the financial autonomy of the House, and seizure of the salaries of the Clerk of the Rivers House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi.

After reading out the allegations, Mr Jack laid the notice before the speaker.

Responding, the speaker, Mr Amaewhule, promised to forward the notice to Mr Fubara.

“Distinguished colleagues, I’m now in receipt of this letter and pursuant to the sections of the 1999 constitution as amended, I will ensure that this letter is forwarded to His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara within seven days,” he assured.

Upon conclusion of the motion, the Deputy Leader of the House, Somiari‑Stewart, also brought forward a notice of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Mrs Odu, a professor.

Mrs Somiari‑Stewart, who represents Okrika Constituency, also said the notice was signed by 26 lawmakers of the assembly.

The allegations against the deputy governor included reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the assembly from performing its constitutional duties in line with the 1999 Constitution, and “conniving” to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the House.

The lawmakers, who cut short their vacation because of the move to impeach the governor, said that they have put on hold their demand that Mr Fubara present the state’s 2026 budget estimates for approval; they said the presentation would no longer be allowed until the impeachment process had been concluded.

Speaker reacts

The Speaker, Mr Amaewhule, said the impeachment notice is “good and in the interest of Rivers State.”

He accused Mr Fubara of rebuffing entreaties to present the 2026 budget, thereby undermining the powers of the assembly.

“Governor Fubara and Ngozi Odu are the only two people in office at the sub-national level that are yet to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill in the entire country.

“Siminalayi Fubara and Professor Ngozi Odu are nothing but a threat to our nascent democracy,” he said.

“If they are allowed to remain in office, I don’t know what will become of our democracy. And they are moving about from place to place, spending taxpayers’ money without approval.”

Mr Amaewhule later announced that the plenary had been adjourned until 15 January after the Majority Leader, Mr Jack, moved the motion for adjournment, which the Deputy Majority Leader, Mrs Somiari‑Stewart, seconded.

Previous attempts to impeach Fubara

This is the third attempt by the Rivers assembly to impeach Mr Fubara since he became the governor of the state in 2023 amid a feud between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The assembly first initiated impeachment proceedings against Mr Fubara in October 2023 over allegations of gross misconduct.

However, the impeachment process was dropped shortly after President Bola Tinubu intervened in the political rift between Mr Fubara and Mr Wike at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

In December of that year, the lawmaker officially withdrew the impeachment notice against Governor Fubara following a peace deal signed by Messrs Fubara and Wike.

The peace deal later broke down, with the Rivers assembly stripping Governor Fubara of the power to appoint caretaker committees for local government councils.

READ ALSO: ‘Bad child’: Wike lists fresh grouse against Fubara amid political tension

In March 2025, the assembly, for the second time, began an impeachment process against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu, after serving a notice of alleged misconduct against them.

While the process was ongoing, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on 18 March 2025 and suspended all elected officials in the state, including the governor, for six months.

Mr Fubara only returned to office in September of that year after the president declared an end to the emergency rule following a second peace deal brokered in June between Messrs Fubara and Wike alongside their supporters.

The second peace deal recently broke down, with Mr Wike accusing the governor of reneging on the terms of the peace deal brokered by the president.

Mr Fubara recently defected from the PDP to the APC, apparently in the hope of receiving political protection from the ruling party.