Political tension has intensified in Rivers State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the State House of Assembly square off over the commencement of impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu.
The crisis reached a peak yesterday when lawmakers reconvened from a recess originally scheduled to end on January 26, initiating steps to remove the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct and financial misappropriation. The House subsequently adjourned proceedings to January 15, a move that has sparked widespread political controversy.
Several groups, including the Rivers APC, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), and the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), have rejected the impeachment process, urging legislators to resist external pressure aimed at destabilising the Fubara administration.
The APC, which Fubara recently joined after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that the governor committed no offence by failing to present a 2026 budget. The party maintained that the budget passed by the National Assembly during the six-month emergency rule remains valid until August 2026.
Meanwhile, divisions have emerged within the PDP. While a faction aligned with former Rivers governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, endorsed the impeachment move, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) adopted a cautious and observatory posture. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also stated that it is monitoring developments before taking a clear position.
Why Fubara, Odu Must Go — Assembly
Explaining the impeachment move, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, said the action was based on the alleged failure of Governor Fubara and his deputy to present the state’s budget.
The lawmakers accused the governor of preventing the Assembly from contributing to the appropriation process, describing the alleged actions as impeachable offences. The motion was introduced by Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol and seconded by Silvernus Nwankwo.
Invoking Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Majority Leader, Major Jack, outlined seven allegations of gross misconduct against the governor. These include the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and refusal to comply with the Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy of the legislature.
After the notice against the governor was read, the Deputy Leader, Linda Stewart, presented a separate notice of gross misconduct against Deputy Governor Odu. Allegations against her include reckless and unconstitutional expenditure of public funds, obstructing the Assembly’s constitutional duties, allowing unauthorised individuals to occupy offices without proper screening, seeking budget approval outside the legitimate Assembly, and withholding salaries and allowances of the House and the Assembly Service Commission.
‘Fubara Is A Mistake’ — Speaker
Reacting to the motion, Amaewhule said the alleged misconduct largely centred on budget presentation and spending outside the appropriation law.
He said: “It is important that the process we are about to go through, in line with the provisions of the constitution and the particulars of those misconducts, has a lot to do with the presentation of the budget, spending outside the appropriation law, which corroborates what members also indicated in that notice.”
He added that the impeachment process was already underway and accused the governor of deliberately refusing to present a budget.
“Siminalayi Fubara is a mistake. He is a mistake. Rivers has never had it this bad,” Amaewhule said, insisting that Rivers State is the only sub-national government yet to present a 2026 appropriation bill.
According to him, the governor had ignored previously approved budgets and awarded contracts outside the appropriation framework, worsening infrastructure, healthcare, education, and employment conditions in the state.
Claiming that Fubara posed a threat to democracy, the Speaker said: “Enough is enough,” stressing that President Bola Tinubu had made several attempts to intervene.
“Mr. President told the governor, I’m giving you a second chance. The governor refused,” he said.
The House subsequently resolved not to entertain any budget presentation until investigations into the alleged misconduct are concluded, adjourning impeachment proceedings to January 15. At least 26 of the 32 lawmakers signed the impeachment notice, which is expected to be served on the governor within seven days.
APC Rejects Impeachment Move
The Rivers APC strongly opposed the impeachment process, urging lawmakers to resist what it described as external attempts to destabilise the state.
Factional spokesman Darlington Nwauju said the crisis was being imported from the PDP into the APC and warned against silence.
He stated: “We solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our Governor and his deputy.”
Nwauju argued that the budget transmitted to the National Assembly during the emergency rule period remains valid and can legally sustain governance until August 2026.
“We therefore strongly advise all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, especially APC members, to resist pressures from outside the Assembly chambers to destabilise the Government of Rivers State led by Sir Fubara,” he said.
Another APC faction led by Chief Emeka Beke echoed similar sentiments, insisting the party could not allow internal PDP disputes to undermine an APC-led government.
PDP Divided Over Impeachment
The PDP was visibly split over the issue. Jungudo Haruna, spokesman for the PDP National Caretaker Committee backed by Wike, described the impeachment as a constitutional matter rather than a political one.
“The issues of impeachment are clearly not issues that have to do with party politics,” Haruna said, urging the governor to submit himself to due process.
In contrast, the PDP NWC led by Kabiru Turaki declined to comment decisively. Its spokesman, Ini Ememobong, said: “We’re not reacting, we’re monitoring. So let’s just monitor and see what happens.”
INC, IYC Urge Assembly To Back Down
The Ijaw National Congress called on the Assembly to halt the impeachment in the interest of peace and democracy. INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said: “This is not a matter of the Ijaw Nation. It is about democracy.”
He described the situation as “a state capture by one individual” and expressed concern over renewed instability following the earlier six-month emergency rule.
Similarly, Ijaw Youth Council President, Dr. Alaye Theophilus, urged lawmakers to allow Fubara to complete his tenure peacefully.
“This is the time for governance and not war,” he said, adding that Rivers people were the real victims of the political crisis.
ADC Monitoring Situation
ADC spokesman Malam Bolaji Abdullahi said the party was closely studying developments before taking a stance.
“We’re studying political development in Rivers,” he said.
The impeachment move has surprised many observers, coming shortly after Fubara and several lawmakers defected to the APC in December 2025. This marks the third impeachment attempt against the governor, following similar moves in 2023 and 2025.
Whether the latest effort will succeed remains uncertain as political tensions continue to rise in Rivers State.
