Rivers Lawmakers Issue New Position on Impeaching Governor Fubara Deputy

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The Rivers State House of Assembly has reaffirmed that the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, will proceed despite recent developments.

At a press briefing on Friday, four legislators who had earlier stepped back from the impeachment process announced that they were returning to support it. They accused the governor of violating provisions of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that the legislature had been compelled to exercise its constitutional authority by starting impeachment proceedings.

The lawmakers also accused Fubara of engaging in blackmail tactics and claimed he had failed to demonstrate the level of trust required to resolve the ongoing political tension in the state.

According to them, the actions of the governor and his deputy show a lack of genuine commitment to the peace efforts, insisting that rather than seek reconciliation, the executive was attempting to pressure the Assembly into abandoning the impeachment process while continuing what they described as acts of impunity.

They maintained that their stance is constitutionally grounded and cautioned against interpreting the impeachment move through an ethnic or sectional lens.

The lawmakers further blamed both the governor and his deputy for derailing previous attempts at peace.

It will be recalled that the Rivers Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, did not reconvene on Thursday, January 15, 2026, as planned—one week after its last adjournment.

During its first sitting of the year on January 8, the House launched impeachment actions against Governor Fubara and Prof. Odu on allegations of gross misconduct, including the demolition of the Assembly complex and unauthorized expenditure, among other accusations. The lawmakers had adjourned until January 15, 2026, to continue deliberations.

Gossip News Now also notes that Minority Leader Sylvanus Nwankwo of Omuma Constituency and Peter Abbey of Degema Constituency had previously called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Barile Nwakoh of Khana Constituency I and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II had also aligned with the peace appeal.

However, during Friday’s joint briefing, all four lawmakers reversed their earlier position and declared that the impeachment process must continue as planned.