The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu earlier this month.
The decision was taken on Thursday during plenary at the Assembly’s resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The House had initially initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over alleged gross misconduct at its first sitting of 2026. At the plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Majority Leader Major Jack presented a notice outlining the allegations.
The claims included the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and an alleged refusal to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy of the legislature, among other issues.
Lawmakers noted that the notice of allegations was issued under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).In a letter dated January 16, 2026, the Assembly asked the state Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, to constitute a seven-member panel to investigate the claims.
However, Justice Amadi declined to act, citing a subsisting High Court order restraining further action on the matter.
Fubara and Odu had each approached the High Court in Port Harcourt to challenge the impeachment process, obtaining injunctions preventing the Chief Judge from acting on the Assembly’s request or setting up an investigative panel.
In response, Justice Amadi stated, “The Speaker and the Assembly have appealed the restraining order granted by the High Court, and the matter remains sub judice. As such, no further action can be taken to constitute an investigative panel at this time.”
The impeachment initiative followed a high-profile political dispute, coming days after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused Governor Fubara of failing to honour a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu in 2025.
Assembly sources confirmed that the intervention by President Tinubu played a significant role in halting the proceedings, allowing the state government and legislature to maintain stability while the legal processes run their course.
Boluwatife Enome
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