The political turmoil in Rivers State witnessed a major twist on Tuesday as two additional members of the State House of Assembly publicly urged their colleagues to abandon the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
WahalaUpdate gathered that the appeal by Barile Nwakoh of Khana Constituency I and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II marks a significant fracture within the legislative house and comes just 24 hours after two other lawmakers, Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey, appealed for their colleagues to “temper justice with mercy” and explore peaceful resolution options outside the impeachment process.
The four dissenting legislators have cited intense pressure from elders, traditional rulers, and leaders both within and outside Rivers State as the primary reason for their change of position.
While acknowledging alleged constitutional infringements by the governor, they have emphasized a humanitarian and reconciliatory approach to the crisis.
Despite the emerging cracks, the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly maintains that the impeachment process is constitutionally underway.
According to a January 9 statement from the House Committee on Information, notices of allegations have been formally served on both Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu, invoking Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
The allegations against Fubara include seven counts of gross misconduct, such as the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary expenditure, and withholding funds from the Assembly Service Commission.
Deputy Governor Odu faces accusations of reckless spending and obstructing legislative activities.
Interestingly, while the Assembly claims formal service of notices, sources close to Governor Fubara insist that as of Monday evening, no official impeachment notice had been received by the Governor or his deputy.
This impeachment attempt is the second against Fubara and Odu in less than a year, rooted in a protracted political feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Federal Capital Territory Minister.
The crisis previously led to a six-month state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in 2025.
In response to the escalating situation, the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) has constituted a seven-man reconciliation committee chaired by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi.
The committee has been given two weeks to mediate between the warring parties and submit a report.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has called for calm, assuring residents during a church service that peace would be restored.
In a metaphorical statement, he remarked, “dogs dey bark wen dem no understand,” indicating his deliberate silence in the face of political distractions and his reliance on faith.
As the constitutional seven-day period for the governor and deputy to respond to the allegations progresses, all eyes remain on whether the Assembly will still push for the impeachment or if more lawmakers will join the call for a political solution over a constitutional confrontation.
