The Rivers State House of Assembly has declared it will press forward with the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara despite ongoing tensions and intermittent delays in legislative activity, lawmakers said on Friday at a press briefing in Port Harcourt.
The move intensifies a long‑standing political face‑off between the executive and legislative arms of government in the oil‑rich state. Mostly ignited tension between Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The state Lawmakers, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, originally commenced impeachment proceedings last week, serving formal notices of alleged gross misconduct against Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu. The allegations reportedly include excess spending without legislative approval and refusal to present the 2026 budget bill to the Assembly.
However, the House failed to reconvene on Thursday — the date it had previously set to resume consideration of the impeachment — raising questions about the pace of the process. This followed appeals from several Assembly members urging a political solution to the crisis and calls from civil society organisations challenging the constitutional basis of the impeachment notice.
This latest standoff is rooted in a deeper conflict that has gripped Rivers politics for over a year. In March 2025, then political tensions between Fubara and Wike led to a six‑month state of emergency declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during which the governor, his deputy, and all members of the State Assembly were suspended and a military administrator was appointed. That emergency rule was later lifted, but discord between the Assembly and the governor has persisted as lawmakers resumed legislative functions.
The current impeachment effort comes as some lawmakers withdraw support for the process, even as others insist it should continue on constitutional grounds. State political actors and civic groups are urging calm and dialogue as the crisis unfolds.
