The Rivers State House of Assembly has escalated the ongoing impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, by passing a resolution directing the state’s chief judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct.
ASSEMBLY TAKES FORMAL STEPS
The resolution was adopted during Friday’s plenary, with 25 lawmakers voting in favour. The move, made under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), now sets the stage for a formal judicial probe.
The Assembly speaker, Martins Amaewhule, instructed the clerk to write to the chief judge within the required timeframe, requesting the constitution of a seven-member investigative panel to examine the allegations.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOVERNOR AND DEPUTY
The charges forwarded to the chief judge include:
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Budgetary impropriety
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Failure to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the Assembly
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Unauthorised expenditure of public funds
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Withholding statutory allocations to the legislature
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Other acts deemed gross misconduct
POLITICAL CONTEXT
Rivers State has been experiencing ongoing political tension, particularly between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Fubara. Efforts to resolve the dispute have largely failed, leaving the majority of Assembly lawmakers, loyal to Wike, determined to see the impeachment process through.
Governor Fubara, who assumed office amid high expectations, has faced repeated confrontations with the legislature. The impeachment move reflects long-standing power struggles in Rivers politics, highlighting the influence of political godfathers and intra-party rivalries.
The next stage now lies in the hands of the judiciary, as the investigative panel begins its examination of the claims against the state’s top executives.
