PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday began fresh impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, reopening a prolonged political crisis that has repeatedly disrupted governance in the oil-producing state.
The move, which also targets Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, follows renewed tension between Fubara and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who has accused the governor of breaching the terms of a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The proceedings commenced on Thursday, January 8, 2026, during a plenary session broadcast live on television.
Notice of Alleged Misconduct
Presiding over the session, the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, received a formal notice of alleged gross misconduct against the governor.
The notice was read by the Majority Leader, Major Jack, who said the impeachment process was being initiated in accordance with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
Jack told lawmakers that the notice, dated January 5, 2026, was signed by 26 members of the assembly and listed eight allegations against Fubara.
These included the demolition of the assembly complex, unapproved budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission, refusal to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on the legislature’s financial autonomy, and the alleged seizure of the salary of the assembly clerk, Emeka Amadi.
After the notice was formally laid before the House, Amaewhule said it would be forwarded to the governor within seven days, as required by law.
Deputy Governor Also Named
Lawmakers also initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.
A separate notice of alleged gross misconduct was presented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Somiari-Stewart, who said it was similarly signed by 26 legislators.
The allegations against Odu include reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the assembly’s constitutional duties, and conniving to allow unauthorised individuals to occupy government offices without legislative screening.
The assembly said it had suspended its demand for the presentation of the state’s 2026 budget estimates, insisting that the appropriation bill would not be considered until the impeachment process was concluded.
Speaker’s Remarks
Amaewhule described the impeachment notice as being “in the interest of Rivers State,” accusing Fubara of undermining the authority of the legislature by failing to present the 2026 budget.
“Governor Fubara and Ngozi Odu are the only two people in office at the sub-national level who are yet to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill in the entire country,” he said.
“If they are allowed to remain in office, I don’t know what will become of our democracy,” the speaker added.
The House later adjourned plenary until January 15.
Repeated Impeachment Attempts
The latest move marks the third attempt by the Rivers assembly to impeach Fubara since he assumed office in 2023, amid an enduring feud with Wike.
An initial impeachment effort launched in October 2023 was abandoned after Tinubu intervened and brokered a peace deal at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. That agreement later collapsed.
A second impeachment attempt followed in March 2025, during which Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending all elected officials for six months.
Fubara returned to office in September 2025 after the emergency rule was lifted and a second peace agreement was reached.
That agreement has also broken down. Wike has publicly accused Fubara of reneging on its terms, a dispute that has again plunged the state into political uncertainty.
Fubara recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, a move widely seen as an attempt to stabilise his political position.
Neither the governor nor his deputy has formally responded to the latest impeachment notice.
