The Rivers State House of Assembly has begun impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh.
During plenary presided over by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, according to the live broadcast on Thursday, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Fubara.
Twenty-six members of the Rivers State House of Assembly signed the notice, which they alleged was against the Nigerian Constitution.
Amaewhule said the notice will be served to Fubara in the next seven days.
The Speaker Martins Amaewhule describe the governor as a “mistake” and accusing him of acts of gross misconduct.
Among the allegations, the lawmakers accused the governor of converting state funds into dollars and allegedly paying individuals from Abuja to influence President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Assembly not to summon him to present the 2026 budget.
The demolition of the Assembly Complex, extra budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and refusal to obey the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy of the house.
According to him, the governor had consistently failed to present a budget, insisting that if Fubara was willing to do so, he would have acted earlier.
He said, “The particulars of gross misconduct have a lot to do with refusal to present a budget and spending outside the appropriation law.”
The Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, also read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Oduh.
Relying on Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, Jack reeled out seven points of alleged gross misconduct against Fubara.
According to the report, some of the allegations against Odu included reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the House of Assembly from performing its constitutional duties as outlined by the 1999 Constitution, conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the legitimate House of Assembly.
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Other allegations were that she approached another group of people for budgetary approval instead of the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly, seizure of salaries and allowances accruing to the RSHA and the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission.
He added that the impeachment process had formally commenced and that his responsibility was to transmit the notice as required by law. Amaewhule also warned that any attempt by the governor to present the appropriation bill or the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework while the allegations were under investigation would not halt the process.
The move is the second attempt by the lawmakers to impeach Fubara and his deputy, following a similar one in March 2025.
In the notice signed by 26 members of the Rivers Assembly at that time, the lawmakers accused Fubara and Odu of gross misconduct after the governor fell out with the immediate governor of the state, Nyesom Wike.
Following escalating tensions in the oil-rich state, President Bola Tinubu intervened and declared a state of emergency.
The president suspended Fubara, his deputy and the Rivers Assembly and said the development is “required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months,” Tinubu said.
He appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rted.) as the administrator of the state.
Fubara returned after six months as governor following a reconciliatory move brokered between him, Wike, who is the FCT Minister, and the lawmakers.
In December, Fubara left the Peoples Democratic Party under whose platform he was elected in 2023, and became a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Fubara, during his defection said, “We cannot support the President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support.
“So, we have taken that decision today since we have gotten the pass. Everyone here who had followed me, who had suffered with me, our decision today, this evening, we are moving to APC.”
His defection came days after some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly joined the APC.