The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
The decision was taken during Thursday’s plenary after lawmakers acknowledged that the process had become entangled in court actions and political negotiations.
The Assembly resolved to pause further steps pending the outcome of ongoing litigation and consultations among key stakeholders.
In January, 26 lawmakers initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct.
During plenary presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, Majority Leader Major Jack presented a notice citing seven allegations against the Governor under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
The accusations included demolishing the Assembly complex, engaging in extra-budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission and disobeying a Supreme Court ruling on legislative financial autonomy.
Deputy Leader Linda Stewart also submitted allegations against the Deputy Governor, accusing her of unconstitutional expenditure, obstructing the Assembly’s work, approving budgets through unauthorised channels and withholding salaries and allowances.
However, the process stalled after the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, declined the Assembly’s request to constitute the constitutionally required seven-member investigative panel. He cited a subsisting interim injunction issued by the Rivers State High Court.
The restraining order, granted on 16 January 2026 by Justice Florence A. Fiberesima, barred the Chief Judge, the Speaker and the Clerk from taking further steps on the impeachment following suits filed by the Governor and his Deputy challenging the legality of the process.
The political fallout drew reactions across party lines. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State rejected the impeachment push, describing the move as “destabilising and unnecessary.”
Amid the impasse, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was reported to have convened a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa involving the Governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, widely regarded as Fubara’s political godfather. Fubara was also said to have accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja.
Wike later confirmed the meeting and disclosed that it was initiated by the President in a renewed effort to resolve the Rivers political crisis. According to him, the meeting was held on Monday, 9 February. He said the President stepped in to broker peace between the Governor and state lawmakers.
Expressing appreciation for the intervention, Wike voiced optimism that the move would bring lasting peace. He noted that it was the second time the President had intervened in the dispute and expressed “hope it would be the last.”
The talks followed the issuance of a third impeachment notice against Fubara by lawmakers believed to be loyal to Wike.
The crisis marks the second impeachment attempt against the Governor and his Deputy.
A similar move in March 2025, triggered by the rift between Fubara and his predecessor Wike, escalated into a constitutional standoff that led President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency, suspend the governor, deputy governor and lawmakers for six months, and appoint retired naval chief Ibokette Ibas as sole administrator.
Fubara later returned to office after a political reconciliation involving him, Wike and members of the Assembly.
The political landscape shifted again in December when the Governor defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform on which he was elected in 2023, to the ruling party, APC.
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