The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara and his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, citing alleged gross misconduct bordering on budgetary violations and disregard for legislative authority.
The move, led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, followed accusations that the governor persistently failed to present the 2026 appropriation bill to the Assembly and sidelined lawmakers from constitutionally mandated budgetary processes.
The impeachment process was set in motion through a motion moved by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dumle Maol, and seconded by Hon. Silvernus Nwankwo. Subsequently, the Majority Leader, Hon. Major Jack, formally read a notice of allegations against Governor Fubara in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to the notice, the allegations of gross misconduct include the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary expenditures, withholding of funds due to the Assembly Service Commission, and alleged refusal to comply with Supreme Court rulings granting financial autonomy to the legislature.
In a similar development, the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Linda Stewart, presented a separate notice of allegations against the Deputy Governor, Prof. Odu. The claims against her include unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of legislative duties, alleged collusion to allow unauthorised individuals to occupy offices without legislative screening, seeking budget approval from bodies outside the Assembly, and the seizure of lawmakers’ salaries and allowances.
Addressing lawmakers, Speaker Amaewhule said the allegations largely revolve around failure to present the budget and spending outside the provisions of the appropriation law.
“It is important that the process we are about to go through is in line with the provisions of the Constitution,” he said. “These alleged misconducts relate mainly to the presentation of the budget and spending outside the appropriation law.”
The Speaker alleged that the governor had shown no intention of presenting the 2026 budget, noting that Rivers State currently has no appropriation law for the year—an occurrence he described as unprecedented.
Amaewhule further claimed that even after the Assembly approved a budget in 2023, the governor abandoned the appropriation framework and awarded contracts outside legislative approval, actions he said undermined governance and development.
“Our schools are not functioning optimally, our youths are not employed, our roads are bad, and our hospitals are not fully functional,” the Speaker stated, adding that the lawmakers had reached a breaking point.
He also alleged that President Bola Tinubu had intervened on several occasions, urging the governor to alter his approach, but claimed such efforts were rebuffed.
Concluding the session, the Speaker announced that the Assembly would suspend consideration of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2026 appropriation bill pending the conclusion of investigations into the allegations.
“Let the law take its course,” Amaewhule said. “The House will not proceed with any action on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework or the 2026 appropriation bill until the investigation of the alleged gross misconduct is concluded.”
