The Rivers State House of Assembly has agreed to go ahead with impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, despite recent legal challenges and political disagreements.
On Friday, lawmakers met for a special session and unanimously voted to continue their investigation into allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and deputy governor. This decision came after four members who had previously withdrawn from the impeachment process reversed their stance and declared their support for the move.
Earlier in the week, the four lawmakers Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuma), Peter Abbey (Degema), Barile Nwakoh (Khana I) and Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor II) – had called for political dialogue and reconciliation, saying they wanted a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis. However, they told colleagues on Friday that they no longer believed dialogue was possible, accusing the governor and his deputy of ignoring calls for compromise and showing hostility towards the legislature.
During plenary, Speaker Martin Amaewhule said the vote was held in accordance with Section 188(5) of the Nigerian Constitution. He confirmed that 25 members voted in favour of continuing the impeachment process, with none opposing or abstaining. The Speaker said he would soon write to the Chief Judge of Rivers State to set up a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations.
The allegations against Governor Fubara and his deputy centre on gross misconduct and alleged violations of the constitution. Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol told reporters that previous attempts to resolve the political problems had failed because the governor had not honoured agreements and could not be trusted. He described impeachment as the only viable option left to address the crisis.
Another lawmaker, Looloo Opuende, accused the governor of attempting to influence constituents to push for the recall of members who support impeachment. “While the impeachment process was ongoing, the governor was busy paying our constituents to recall us from the Assembly,” Opuende said.
However, the governor’s camp has dismissed the lawmakers’ claims. Darlington Orji, a special assistant to Governor Fubara on political matters, described the impeachment effort as scripted and said it was driven by political interests rather than genuine concerns about governance. He said the dispute was a struggle for political control in Rivers State.
The unfolding political drama has also reached the courts. A Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo has issued an interim injunction restraining the Speaker, the Clerk of the House and others from sending any communication to the Chief Judge about the impeachment. The judge also barred the Chief Judge from acting on any request to set up the investigative panel, at least for the next seven days. The court will hear further arguments on January 23.
The Assembly adjourned and plans to meet again on Tuesday, January 27. In the meantime, the dispute between the executive and legislative arms of government in Rivers State continues to deepen, with both sides insisting they are acting within their constitutional rights.
