Rivers State House of Assembly has moved forward with efforts to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, by asking the state’s Chief Judge to investigate serious misconduct claims against them.
Gatekeepers News reports that twenty-five lawmakers voted at a plenary session on Friday to adopt a resolution directing the Chief Judge to set up a seven-member panel to examine allegations of gross misconduct under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Lawmakers accuse Fubara and Odu of budgetary impropriety, refusing to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the Assembly, unauthorised spending of public funds, and withholding statutory allocations from the legislature. They view these acts as serious breaches of constitutional duties.
Speaker Martins Amaewhule instructed the Assembly clerk to formally notify the Chief Judge in writing so that the investigative panel can be constituted within the legal timeframe.
This development follows the formal start of impeachment proceedings on January 8, when notices were served on the governor and his deputy over alleged misconduct.
However, the impeachment process is now tied up in the courts. A Rivers State High Court has issued an interim order stopping the Chief Judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment documents, including the Assembly’s resolution, for at least seven days as the case is heard. The injunction also restrains Speaker Amaewhule and others from advancing the process pending the legal challenge.
Supporters of the impeachment argue it is a constitutional check on the executive. At the same time, critics, including some political parties and officials, have questioned whether the legislature is overstepping or being influenced by internal political rivalries.
