The Rivers State House of Assembly has declared that it will not retreat from the ongoing impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
This followed a dramatic reversal by four lawmakers who had earlier called for dialogue and political reconciliation. The legislators — Minority Leader Sylvanus Nwankwo, Peter Abbey (Degema), Barile Nwakoh (Khana I) and Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor II) — have now withdrawn their appeal for dialogue and reaffirmed their support for the continuation of the impeachment proceedings.
The lawmakers announced their decision on Friday during a live broadcast from the frontage of the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, which currently serves as the House’s temporary sitting venue. Their change of position came barely two days after they publicly urged their colleagues to pursue a political solution to the prolonged crisis between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Explaining the reversal, Nwankwo recalled that he and Abbey had, on January 12, appealed for a political settlement to the impasse. However, he said the appeal yielded no positive response from the governor.
According to him, instead of embracing dialogue, Governor Fubara and his deputy allegedly allowed sustained media attacks against the Assembly through their aides, thereby undermining the reconciliation effort.
“During the pendency of this appeal, we observed that the governor and the deputy governor deployed their media aides to consistently attack the Rivers State House of Assembly instead of seeking the political solution we proposed,” Nwankwo said. “It is on this basis that we have resolved that the impeachment proceedings should continue.”
In separate remarks, Nwakoh and Amadi said they were convinced that both the governor and his deputy had shown no genuine willingness to resolve the crisis through dialogue, leaving the lawmakers with no option other than to support the impeachment process.
The development comes amid rising tension within the Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Martin Amaewhule, who last week formally commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct.
The allegations include the demolition of the Assembly complex and the alleged spending of public funds without legislative approval.
Earlier in the week, the same four lawmakers had announced their withdrawal from the impeachment move, citing the need for political reconciliation, a decision that briefly raised hopes of a possible resolution to the crisis.
However, on Friday, members of the Assembly insisted that the impeachment process was constitutional and remained the only viable means of resolving the political deadlock in the state.
The renewed push also follows the Assembly’s inability to reconvene for plenary on Thursday, exactly one week after adjourning its last sitting on January 8, a situation that had fuelled speculation about internal divisions within the House.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Assembly is said to have called on the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, to constitute a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor.
A reliable source close to the Chief Judge disclosed that while he was aware of the Assembly’s position, he had not been formally approached in line with constitutional procedures.
“He is aware of the call for the continuation of the impeachment proceedings, but he has not been reached officially. It is not done by phone call. They know the process,” the source said.
Rivers Assembly Vows to Press On With Fubara Impeachment as Four Lawmakers Make U-Turn
