RIVERS LAWMAKERS APPEAL FOR END TO FUBARA IMPEACHMENT MOVE
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Two Rivers State lawmakers have appealed to their colleagues to exercise restraint over the planned impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu.
Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, the House Minority Leader, Sylvanus Nwankwo, alongside the lawmaker representing Degema Constituency, Peter Abbey, said the call followed appeals from elders, political leaders, and constituents across the state. They urged the Assembly to suspend the impeachment process and seek an amicable resolution.
Nwankwo noted that although impeachment notices had been issued against the governor and his deputy, lawmakers should temper justice with mercy and explore alternative means of resolving the matter without resorting to impeachment.
He said the appeal was informed by widespread consultations and concerns raised by stakeholders within and outside Rivers State, even as he acknowledged alleged constitutional infractions by the governor and his deputy.
Last Thursday, Governor Fubara and Prof. Odu were reportedly served with impeachment notices over allegations of gross misconduct.
The Majority Leader of the House, Major Jack, had earlier presented a notice signed by 26 lawmakers, detailing several allegations against the governor. These include alleged extra-budgetary expenditure of over ₦800 billion without legislative approval, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, demolition of the Assembly complex, and disobedience to Supreme Court rulings on legislative autonomy.
A separate notice was also issued against the deputy governor, accusing her of complicity in unconstitutional financial expenditures.
The Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, announced that the notices would be formally served on the governor and his deputy within seven days, in line with constitutional provisions. However, Governor Fubara has maintained that he is yet to receive any official impeachment notice.
The latest development signals a renewed escalation of the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, which stems from the rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Earlier impeachment attempts in 2023 and 2025 were halted following presidential interventions, before President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state last March.
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