The Rivers State House of Assembly has ruled out any political settlement in the ongoing impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh, insisting that the matter will be pursued to its conclusion.
Assembly spokesperson Enemi George, speaking on Channels Television Thursday, said lawmakers were committed to following due process and dismissed allegations that the impeachment was a political strategy to intimidating the governor.
“Very sincerely, I doubt that because we’ve had one too many political solutions… It demeans, diminishes the institution of the Rivers House of Assembly if you say that everything that we do is because of politics… Right now, what we’re talking about is the law,” George said.
George accused the governor of repeated violations, describing him as a “recidivist.”
He alleged misconduct including:
- Improper handling of public funds
- Appointment of relatives to public offices without due screening
- Unauthorized spending outside budgetary approval
Addressing the controversy over a ₦100,000 “Christmas gift” credited to lawmakers’ accounts on December 30, 2025, George said the rejection was based on legal and ethical concerns.
“We didn’t reject it because the money is too small, we rejected it because I don’t want to go to prison. These funds belong to the people of Rivers State,” he said.
George further maintained that external political intervention could not override the Assembly’s constitutional responsibilities, referencing earlier mediation attempts by President Bola Tinubu.
Civil Society and Political Reactions
Ijaw Groups
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) and its youth wing, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), called on the Assembly to halt impeachment proceedings.
INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba described the attempt as “not a matter of the Ijaw nation but of democracy,” urging defenders of democratic principles to resist what he termed an unfortunate development.
IYC President Dr. Alaye Theophilus argued that Fubara should be allowed to complete his tenure peacefully, stressing that prolonged political attacks harm Rivers people.
“The governor has not done anything wrong. He has initiated development projects across the state. This is a time for governance, not war,” Theophilus said.
APC Factions
Factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also rejected the impeachment attempt. In a statement signed by Darlington Nwauju, spokesperson for Chief Emeka Beke’s faction, the party reaffirmed legislative independence but described the process as untenable.
The statement noted that the 2025 federal budget provides a legal framework allowing governors to spend funds within a six-month window at the start of a fiscal year.
PDP Voices
Former PDP spokesperson Hon. Sydney Tambari appealed to lawmakers to “sheathe their sword,” noting that Fubara had made concessions to maintain peace and describing the impeachment effort as unfortunate at the start of the year.
On Thursday, impeachment notices were read by House Leader Hon. Major Jack and Deputy Leader Hon. Linda Stewart, citing allegations including:
- Non-presentation of the 2025 budget
- Unauthorized spending
- Withholding salaries of Assembly staff
- Failure to properly screen appointments
- Demolition of the Assembly complex
Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule promised to deliver the notices to Governor Fubara and his deputy within seven days.
The Assembly also adopted a motion to withhold actions on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2026 Appropriation Bill pending investigation.
The impeachment attempt comes amid ongoing realignments in Rivers politics. In December 2025, 17 lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC, followed by Governor Fubara’s own defection, heightening tensions between APC and PDP factions.
This is the third impeachment attempt against Fubara, following earlier ones in 2023 and 2025.
The governor suggests that at the root of his political problems is an attempt to corner a substantial part of state’s resources to private hands which the governor claims he is resisting in the interest of the state at large.
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