THE Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday, January 8, commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, days after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, accused the governor of reneging on a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu.
At plenary presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, formally presented a notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Fubara, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Jack listed seven allegations against the governor, including the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and failure to comply with a Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to the legislature.
According to Channels Television, twenty-six lawmakers signed the notice, with the speaker directing that the notice be served on the governor within seven days, in line with constitutional provisions.
In the same development, the Deputy Leader, Linda Stewart, laid a separate notice of gross misconduct against Deputy Governor Odu.
The lawmakers accused her of reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstructing the Assembly from performing its constitutional duties, and conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy government offices without legislative screening.
They further alleged that Odu sought budgetary approval from another group instead of the Rivers State House of Assembly and seized salaries and allowances due to lawmakers and the Assembly Service Commission.
The impeachment move, The ICIR reports, came barely a week after Wike publicly alleged that Fubara failed to honour an agreement reached during a closed-door meeting convened by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in June 2025 to resolve the state’s prolonged political crisis.
Speaking during a visit to Tai Local Government Area on December 31, 2025, Wike said the details of the agreement would soon be made public and warned that his supporters were prepared to confront the governor politically if the alleged breach persisted.
The impeachment move also unfolded at a time Wike is physically present in Rivers State, amid renewed political mobilisation by his supporters, and weeks after Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in what appeared to be an effort to stabilise his administration.
Recall that Fubara announced his move on December 9, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt, days after a wave of defections hit the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The ICIR reports that the development came barely 24 hours after the Rivers’ governor held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
His decision followed the defection of 16 lawmakers from the PDP to the APC during a plenary on Friday, December 5.
“APC is my new party. I will do all that is needed to be done towards ensuring that the party card of the All Progressives Congress is issued to me in no time. I am happy to be a member of the APC so that we can join forces with Mr. President. He is doing so much for this country,” he said.
The defections, which included lawmakers Dumle Maol, Major Jack, Linda Stewart, Franklin Nwabochi, Azeru Opara, Smart Adoki, Enemi George, Solomon Wami, Igwe Aforji, Tekena Wellington, Looloo Opuende, Peter Abbey, Arnold Dennis, Chimezie Nwankwo, and Ofiks Kabang, have reshaped the House’s political configuration.
The political crisis, rooted in a struggle for control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in Rivers State, had earlier split the House of Assembly, with lawmakers loyal to Wike forming the majority and repeatedly threatening impeachment.
At the peak of the standoff, President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in the state, suspending Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Assembly for six months under Section 305 of the Constitution.
He appointed a retired rear admiral, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as administrator, while retaining the state judiciary.
The president subsequently on September 17, announced the end of the state of emergency he imposed on Rivers State after six months of federal control.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M