Four lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly have withdrawn their earlier call for restraint and now aligned themselves fully with the ongoing impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
At a press briefing held in Port Harcourt on Friday, the legislators publicly confirmed their renewed support for the impeachment proceedings, stating that recent developments had influenced their change of stance.
They explained that the governor had failed to show any form of remorse or willingness to address the accusations raised against him by the legislature. According to them, this lack of response further deepened the political tension already affecting the oil-producing state.
Speaking during the briefing, the Minority Leader of the House, Sylvanus Nwankwo, who represents Omuma constituency, accused the governor of refusing to explore peaceful political options to resolve the prolonged standoff between the executive and the legislature.
He further alleged that the governor and his deputy had encouraged their aides to launch attacks against members of the Rivers State House of Assembly rather than embracing dialogue.
“Recall that on January 12, myself and my colleague, Peter Abbey, addressed the press, wherein we made a plea to our colleagues to seek a political solution to this impasse that is going on between the Assembly and the governor,” he said.
“During the pendency of this appeal, we found out that the governor and the deputy have all implored their media boys and aides to continuously attack the Rivers State House of Assembly instead of seeking a political solution that we offered.
“It is on this basis that I, and my fellow colleague, are saying that the impeachment proceeding should continue. We have rescinded our plea,” he added.
Supporting Nwankwo’s position, Peter Abbey acknowledged that the governor had indeed continued to criticise and undermine members of the Assembly. He accused both the governor and his deputy of breaching constitutional provisions, stressing that such actions justified the continuation of the impeachment process.
“I am an Ijaw man like the governor, we should not ethnicise this. It is simply a constitutional matter,” Abbey stated. “We are saying that the process should continue.”
Also speaking, the Deputy Minority Leader, Barile Nwakoh, claimed that the governor and his deputy were deliberately persisting in actions that violated the constitution. She alleged that the lawmakers were being subjected to intimidation, describing the situation as a serious threat to democratic principles.
Nwakoh, who represents Khana Constituency I, nonetheless praised President Bola Tinubu for previously stepping in to mediate the crisis in Rivers State.
“Regrettably, the governor and deputy governor have sent signals to us that they are not prepared to retrace their steps and govern in line with the constitution; they are adamant.
“Their strategy is to intimidate us into withdrawing the impeachment process for the third time while they continue their infractions on the Constitution and the law. On this note, we are continuing with the impeachment process,” she stated.
The fourth lawmaker, Emilia Lucky-Amadi, explained that the group reversed its earlier position because their attempts at engagement were ignored by the governor, who, according to her, showed no interest in pursuing a political resolution.
“The governor and deputy are ignoring us; they are insisting that they will not govern in line with the constitution, and nothing will happen.
“There are strong indications that they are adamant with their decisions to continue with illegal actions and are boasting that we do not matter and cannot perform oversight functions,” Lucky-Amadi, who represents Obio/Akpor II Constituency, stated.
The Rivers State House of Assembly had earlier commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct. On Friday, the House also approved the establishment of a probe panel by the Chief Judge of the state to investigate the allegations against the executive duo.
What you should know
The political crisis in Rivers State has deepened as divisions between the executive and legislative arms continue to widen. Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, are facing impeachment over allegations of gross misconduct and constitutional violations.
While some lawmakers initially sought a political settlement, the continued accusations of intimidation and refusal to engage in dialogue have pushed the Assembly to press ahead with impeachment.
The situation has drawn national attention, with President Bola Tinubu previously intervening in an attempt to stabilize governance in one of Nigeria’s most politically and economically significant states.
