The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following legal hurdles and political interventions aimed at resolving the lingering crisis in the state.
The decision was taken during plenary on Thursday at the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule.
Lawmakers resolved to halt further action on the impeachment process pending the outcome of ongoing court cases and consultations.
The impeachment move, initiated in January 2026, was based on allegations of gross misconduct brought pursuant to Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
During earlier proceedings, Majority Leader Major Jack read out a notice detailing the accusations against the governor, including the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and alleged refusal to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy of the legislature.
Twenty six lawmakers reportedly signed the notice, which was to be transmitted to the governor.
Separate allegations were also presented against Odu, accusing her of unconstitutional expenditure and obstructing the activities of the Assembly.
However, the process stalled after the state Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, declined the Assembly’s request to constitute the mandatory seven member investigative panel. In his response, the Chief Judge cited a subsisting interim injunction issued by a Rivers State High Court, which restrained him from taking further action on the impeachment.
The restraining order, granted on January 16, 2026, barred the Chief Judge, the Speaker and the Clerk of the House from proceeding with the impeachment process, following separate suits filed by Fubara and his deputy challenging its legality. The Speaker and the Assembly have since appealed the High Court order.
The political tension escalated after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the governor of reneging on a peace agreement previously brokered by President Bola Tinubu in 2025.
Amid the renewed crisis, President Tinubu convened a closed door meeting with Fubara and Wike at his official residence in Aso Rock, Abuja, on February 8.
Confirming the meeting, Wike expressed optimism that the President’s intervention would bring a lasting resolution to the political impasse.
“The President has stepped in again to broker peace, and we are hopeful that this time it will bring lasting stability to Rivers State,” Wike said, describing the engagement as decisive.
The latest impeachment attempt marks the second against Fubara and Odu. A similar move in March 2025 triggered a major political crisis that led President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state, suspend the governor, his deputy and lawmakers for six months, and appoint a sole administrator.
Fubara later returned to office following reconciliation efforts involving key political actors.
The recent suspension of impeachment proceedings is widely seen as part of broader efforts to stabilise the state’s political environment and prevent a repeat of the earlier crisis.
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