Rivers Assembly halts Fubara’s impeachment after Tinubu’s intervention
By Idun Maximus
The Rivers State House of Assembly said it has halted impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier this month.
The decision was announced on Thursday during plenary at the Assembly’s resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, told lawmakers that the decision to withdraw the impeachment notice was reached in deference to the president’s intervention aimed at restoring stability and constitutional order.
Amaewhule also informed the House that all pending court cases filed by the governor, his deputy and the Assembly in relation to the dispute had been withdrawn as part of the peace efforts.
According to him, the move reflects a collective commitment by both arms of government to de-escalate tensions and prioritise governance.
While suspending the impeachment process, lawmakers emphasised that the executive arm must operate strictly within constitutional boundaries.
They expressed hope that Governor Fubara and his deputy would henceforth align their actions with the provisions of the constitution.
Members maintained that the Assembly remains committed to its constitutional mandate of oversight and lawmaking, stressing that the suspension of impeachment should not be misconstrued as a waiver of legislative authority.
The House had, at its first sitting in 2026, commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara and Odu over allegations of gross misconduct. During plenary presided over by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read a notice outlining the allegations against the governor and his deputy.
The allegations included the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding of funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and alleged refusal to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy of the legislature, among other claims deemed to constitute gross misconduct.
The House said the notices were issued pursuant to Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In a letter dated January 16, 2026, the Assembly requested the state Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations.
However, Justice Amadi declined the request, citing a subsisting High Court order restraining him from taking further action on the matter. Fubara and Odu had separately approached a High Court in Port Harcourt and secured injunctions preventing the Chief Judge from constituting the investigative panel.
In his response, the Chief Judge noted that the Speaker and the Assembly had appealed the restraining order.
The impeachment move came amid heightened political tensions in the state, days after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the governor of reneging on a peace agreement brokered in 2025.
President Tinubu had earlier met with Fubara and Wike at the President’s official residence in Aso Rock, Abuja, on February 8, in what was described as a decisive intervention to resolve the protracted political crisis in Rivers State.
Following the meeting, Wike expressed optimism that the crisis was close to a lasting resolution.
The suspension of the impeachment proceedings is seen as a significant step toward de-escalating tensions and paving the way for political reconciliation in the oil-rich state.
