The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh, marking a fresh escalation in the state’s lingering political crisis.
The move was taken during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, where the Majority Leader, Major Jack, formally read a notice of allegations accusing the governor of gross misconduct.
According to the notice, which was endorsed by 26 lawmakers, Governor Fubara is alleged to have engaged in actions considered to be in violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Announcing the development, Speaker Amaewhule said the impeachment notice would be officially served on the governor within seven days, in line with constitutional requirements.
During the same sitting, the Deputy Majority Leader, Linda Stewart, also read out a separate notice detailing allegations of gross misconduct against Deputy Governor Ngozi Oduh, effectively extending the impeachment process to the state’s second-highest office.
The latest action by the Assembly deepens the political tension in Rivers State, which has witnessed months of power struggles between the executive and the legislature. As of the time of filing this report, neither Governor Fubara nor his deputy had publicly responded to the impeachment move.