Rivers State is once again engulfed in political tension as the House of Assembly commenced fresh impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu. The lawmakers issued a seven-day notice demanding responses to allegations of gross misconduct, including refusal to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill and unauthorized spending outside the state’s budgetary framework.
Top members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and some governors have moved to calm tensions, seeking a “political solution” to prevent further crisis. Sources indicated that both the President and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, are being briefed, with efforts underway to resolve the matter quietly. The APC in Rivers State, aligned with former Minister Rotimi Amaechi, condemned the impeachment move, describing it as politically motivated and unrelated to governance issues.
The situation has drawn reactions from youth and women’s groups, civil society organisations, and political observers. The Ijaw Youths Council and Rivers Women Unite for Sim described the impeachment as destabilizing and unfounded, while the Civil Liberties Organisation warned against using the process for political retaliation. The crisis stems from a power struggle between Wike and Fubara, intensified by Fubara’s defection to the APC in December 2025, which shifted the state’s political balance ahead of the 2027 elections.
