…as Assembly moves to impeachment Governor
…APC kicks, says impeachment plot is fallout of PDP crisis
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, has declared that lawmakers would rather resign en masse than remain in office while constitutional breaches persist unchecked, as the Assembly formally reopened impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Odu.
Speaking during a tense plenary session on Thursday, Amaewhule rejected insinuations that the renewed political crisis was a mere extension of the feud between the Governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He insisted the conflict was fundamentally about the rule of law.
“This is not a fight between the FCT Minister and the Governor. It is a fight between the Governor and the Constitution,” Amaewhule stated.
The Speaker described Governor Fubara as a threat to our democracy, expressing frustration that public sentiment appeared to favour political loyalty over constitutional adherence.
He questioned the purpose of the legislature if it lacked the capacity to enforce the law.
“For his infractions on the constitution, they are clapping for him rather than holding him accountable. We sit here as elected representatives and cannot enforce the constitution. Why are we here? It is better we all resign and leave the governor and those he wants to defraud the people. We cannot continue like this,” he said.
During the sitting, the House formally initiated impeachment processes, with 26 lawmakers endorsing a notice of gross misconduct against the Governor.
The Majority Leader, Major Jack, relying on Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, outlined seven allegations against Fubara.
The charges include the controversial demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary expenditures, and the withholding of funds meant for the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission.
The Governor is also accused of refusing to comply with a Supreme Court ruling regarding the financial autonomy of the legislature.
Simultaneously, the Deputy Majority Leader, Linda Stewart, presented a separate notice of gross misconduct against Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.
She is accused of reckless and unconstitutional spending, obstructing the House from performing its duties, seeking budgetary approvals from unauthorised bodies, and seizing salaries and allowances due to Assembly members and staff.
Speaker Amaewhule directed that the notices be served on both officials within seven days.
In a swift reaction, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has vehemently opposed the impeachment proceedings, vowing to resist any attempt to remove the Governor and his deputy.
Despite the Assembly’s move, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Darlington Nwauju, described the plot as politically dangerous and unacceptable.
He characterised the impeachment effort as a spillover of unresolved internal conflicts within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning against importing such crises into the APC-led government.
Recall that Governor Fubara defected from the PDP to the APC in December, citing the need to align with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Our position on this matter is very clear. We strongly and solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our governor and his deputy. It will be totally untenable for our party to remain silent while the after-effects of crises that happened within the PDP are being imported into our great party,” Nwauju said.
He declared that the party would do everything possible to ensure the stability of the Fubara administration.
The latest development marks the second impeachment attempt in less than a year. A similar move in March 2025 precipitated a crisis that led to a six-month state of emergency and the appointment of an administrator, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd), before Fubara’s eventual return to office.
