Port Harcourt — The Rivers State House of Assembly has reaffirmed its determination to continue impeachment proceedings against Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, accusing them of persistent violations of the Constitution.
The lawmakers also alleged that the governor is plotting to use officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intimidate members of the House.
Members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly made these assertions during a media interaction held in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Recall that on January 8, the Assembly formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, citing allegations of gross misconduct and disobedience to constitutional provisions.
Following the commencement of the process, the House adjourned to January 15, resolving that the Clerk of the Assembly should serve the notice of impeachment on the executive arm of government. However, the House failed to convene on the scheduled date, and no official explanation was provided for the inability to hold plenary.
Meanwhile, four lawmakers who had earlier withdrawn from the impeachment process and advocated political dialogue later reversed their positions and rejoined the proceedings.
On Monday, the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuma Constituency), alongside Hon. Peter Abbey (Degema Constituency), had publicly distanced themselves from the impeachment move, urging their colleagues to pursue political solutions. Shortly after, Hon. Barile Nwakoh (Khana Constituency I) and Hon. Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor Constituency II) also appealed for reconciliation and restraint.
However, the situation took a new turn on Friday when the four lawmakers announced a change of stance, declaring their readiness to proceed with the impeachment of the governor and his deputy.
Addressing journalists, Nwakoh and Amadi said their decision to abandon earlier calls for political settlement was due to what they described as the governor’s refusal to honour agreements or retrace his steps.
Speaking further, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Major Jack, said Governor Fubara and his deputy had failed to adequately respond to the allegations of gross misconduct leveled against them. He maintained that the House would continue with the impeachment process, insisting that the governor had shown disregard for constitutional provisions.
In a joint briefing, lawmakers of the 10th Assembly said they were compelled to press on with the impeachment despite interventions from concerned Nigerians.
Reading from a prepared statement, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dumle Maol, described the governor as incorrigible, stating that all efforts to advise him had proved futile.
According to Maol, both the governor and his deputy have remained adamant and have failed to address the constitutional issues raised in the impeachment notice.
He said:
“The governor and the deputy governor have no intention of stopping their disobedience to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
“This is the third time impeachment proceedings have dominated the affairs of the state, and we have observed that rather than retrace their steps, the governor and his deputy prefer to manipulate public opinion and leaders against the House.”
Maol further accused the governor of acting as though the Rivers State House of Assembly does not exist, adding that the executive arm has shown little concern over the allegations raised.
He alleged that while lawmakers were considering appeals from stakeholders, the governor and his deputy were allegedly sponsoring media attacks against the Assembly and planning to use state institutions, including the EFCC, to intimidate legislators.
“They have refused to respond to the allegations of gross misconduct, yet they have time to mock the House through indirect comments and media attacks. They have made it clear that they do not intend to respect or work with the Rivers State House of Assembly,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker warned that such actions pose a serious threat to democracy, stressing that the rule of law, separation of powers, and respect for the Constitution remain the only path to peace and progress in the state.
Maol also dismissed claims that the crisis was merely a political disagreement between former governor Nyesom Wike and Governor Fubara.
“The real issue is that the governor and his deputy are at war with the Constitution in pursuit of their political interests. We urge the people of Rivers State to carefully read the notice of allegations against the governor and his deputy to better understand our position,” he added.
Rivers Assembly Insists on Impeachment of Fubara, Deputy, Accuses Governor of Constitutional Breaches
