The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Odu, marking a major escalation in the protracted political crisis rocking the oil-rich state.
The move was initiated on Thursday during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, where the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read a detailed notice of allegations and claims of gross misconduct against the governor. The notice, endorsed by 26 members of the Assembly, was presented in line with the provisions of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which outlines the procedure for the removal of a governor or deputy governor from office.
Addressing the House after the presentation, Speaker Amaewhule disclosed that the notice of allegations would be formally served on Governor Fubara within the next seven days, as required by law, to enable him respond to the charges leveled against him.
Relying on constitutional provisions, the Majority Leader outlined seven allegations of gross misconduct against the governor. These include the controversial demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, alleged extra-budgetary expenditures without legislative approval, withholding of funds statutorily meant for the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission, and refusal to comply with the Supreme Court judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the legislature.
According to the lawmakers, these actions constitute serious violations of the Constitution and undermine the independence and effective functioning of the legislative arm of government in the state.
Following the presentation against the governor, the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, also read out a separate notice of allegations and gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Dr. Ngozi Odu. The notice accused her of reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, as well as obstructing the Rivers State House of Assembly from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution.
Other allegations against the deputy governor include allegedly conniving to allow unauthorised individuals to occupy government offices without undergoing proper screening by the legitimate House of Assembly, approaching an alternative group for budgetary approvals instead of the duly constituted legislature, and the seizure of salaries and allowances due to the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Assembly Service Commission.
The lawmakers also accused Dr. Odu of actions they claimed were aimed at weakening the authority and operations of the Assembly, thereby eroding democratic governance and constitutional order in the state.
The latest development represents the second attempt by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Fubara and his deputy, following a similar move in March 2025 that did not culminate in their removal.
Political observers say the renewed impeachment push underscores the deepening rift between the executive and legislative arms of government in Rivers State, raising concerns over governance stability and the potential impact on public administration in the state. As stipulated by the Constitution, the next stage of the process will depend on the responses of the governor and his deputy to the allegations, as well as subsequent decisions by the Assembly.
