The Rivers State House of Assembly has declared that it will not retreat from the ongoing impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, as fresh drama unfolded within the legislature on Friday.
In a stunning twist, four lawmakers who had earlier called for dialogue and political reconciliation have reversed their stance and thrown their weight back behind the impeachment proceedings.
The lawmakers are the Minority Leader, Sylvanus Nwankwo; Peter Abbey, representing Degema Constituency; Barile Nwakoh of Khana Constituency I; and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II.
They announced their dramatic reversal during a live broadcast from the frontage of the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, currently serving as a temporary venue for sittings.
The move came just two days after the same lawmakers had publicly urged their colleagues to pursue a political solution to the prolonged crisis between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Explaining the sudden change of position, Nwankwo recalled that he and Abbey had appealed for dialogue on January 12 but claimed that the governor failed to reciprocate.
He accused Governor Fubara and his deputy of undermining the peace effort through what he described as sustained media attacks on the Assembly by their aides.
“During the pendency of this appeal, we observed that the governor and the deputy governor deployed their media aides to consistently attack the Rivers State House of Assembly instead of seeking the political solution we proposed. It is on this basis that we have resolved that the impeachment proceedings should continue,” Nwankwo said.
In separate remarks, Nwakoh and Amadi said they were convinced that both the governor and his deputy showed no genuine commitment to resolving the crisis through dialogue, leaving the lawmakers with no option but to support the impeachment process.
The latest development comes amid escalating tension in the Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Martin Amaewhule, which last week formally commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct.
The allegations include the demolition of the Assembly complex and the alleged spending of public funds without legislative approval.
Earlier in the week, the four lawmakers had announced their withdrawal from the impeachment move, citing the need for political reconciliation.
Their sudden reversal has now reinvigorated the process, effectively dismissing earlier suggestions that the impeachment plot had collapsed like previous attempts.
On Friday, Assembly members maintained that the impeachment process is constitutional and represents the only viable path to resolving the political impasse in the state.
The renewed push follows the Assembly’s failure to reconvene for plenary on Thursday, exactly one week after adjourning its last sitting on January 8, a situation that had sparked speculation about deepening internal divisions.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the House was said to have “called” on the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Amadi, to immediately constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor.
According to a source close to the Chief Judge, “he is aware of the call for continuation of the impeachment proceedings but he has not been reached. It is not by phone call. They know the process”, the source said.
