The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a stern rebuttal to reports suggesting it has discontinued impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngọzi Odu.
In a formal statement released on Friday evening, the spokesperson for the Assembly, the Honourable Enemi George, dismissed claims of a withdrawal and a purported apology to President Bola Tinubu as “deliberate misinformation and false narratives.”
Mr George, who represents the Asari-Toru II Constituency, clarified that the House remains resolute in its constitutional undertaking. He noted that certain elements were circulating “false narratives to cause disaffection between the House and well-meaning Nigerians.”
“With the leave of the Speaker, the Right Honourable Martin Chike Amaewhule, I call on all and sundry to disregard their antics, as their actions have already failed,” Mr George stated. He further insisted that the impeachment move was “fully on course,” asserting that the Assembly would not be “dissuaded by cheap blackmail or threats from those who do not mean well for our country’s nascent democracy.”
The spokesperson confirmed that formal notices of the alleged misconduct have already been served upon both Governor Fubara and Professor Odu. He maintained that the Assembly is duty-bound by the Constitution to “stop infractions” by any officer of the state government.
This development marks the third attempt by the Assembly to remove Mr Fubara since his inauguration in 2023. The persistent volatility stems from a long-standing feud between the Governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The timeline of the crisis highlights a cycle of intervention and collapse:
- October 2023: The first impeachment move was initiated but later withdrawn following a peace deal brokered by President Tinubu.
- March 2025: A second attempt was launched, coinciding with the President’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, which saw all elected officials suspended.
- September 2025: Governor Fubara returned to office following a second peace agreement, which has since broken down.
The latest breakdown in relations follows accusations from Mr Wike that the Governor has reneged on the terms of the most recent agreement. In a strategic maneuver intended to secure political protection from the federal government, Mr Fubara recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, this change in party affiliation appears to have done little to dampen the resolve of the state legislators, who insist that their constitutional mandate to oversee executive conduct remains their primary focus.
