The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, with Speaker Martins Amaewhule describing the governor as a “mistake” and accusing him of acts of gross misconduct.

The development followed the House’s decision to reverse its earlier plan to resume plenary on January 26, opting instead to reconvene on Thursday.

During the plenary presided over by Amaewhule, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read a notice of allegations and gross misconduct levelled against the governor. The notice, signed by 26 lawmakers, accused Fubara of actions allegedly in violation of the Nigerian Constitution.

Among the allegations, the lawmakers accused the governor of converting state funds into dollars and allegedly paying individuals from Abuja to influence President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Assembly not to summon him to present the 2026 budget.

Amaewhule disclosed that the notice would be served on the governor within seven days, in line with constitutional provisions.

He added that the impeachment process had formally commenced and that his responsibility was to transmit the notice as required by law. Amaewhule also warned that any attempt by the governor to present the appropriation bill or the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework while the allegations were under investigation would not halt the process.

According to him, the governor had consistently failed to present a budget, insisting that if Fubara was willing to do so, he would have acted earlier.

He said, “The particulars of gross misconduct have a lot to do with refusal to present a budget and spending outside the appropriation law.”

“There is a notice, and the process of impeachment is on, and having received it, my job is to forward it, and it is important that we allow this process to go through.

“The motion says that in the event that the governor tries, as he has always tried to do, to be smart by half, to now say he wants to bring the appropriation bill, or to present the medium-term expenditure framework, the movers of the motion say, ‘Let him hold on and allow the investigation of the allegation brought against him and the deputy governor to be concluded.’

“In any case, the governor does not want to present any budget, because if he wanted to, he would have brought it all this while.

Fubara’s “crimes”

“Siminalayi Fubara is a mistake; Rivers State has never had it this bad. In the entirety of Nigeria, Siminalayi Fubara and the deputy governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, are the only ones in office at the sub-national level that are yet to present the 2026 appropriation bill in the entire country.

The Speaker further accused the governor of undermining the legislature, alleging that Fubara had boasted of seeking presidential intervention to restrain the Assembly and had described the 10th Rivers Assembly as a “toothless bulldog”.

He said, “I’m sure if you go to the West African region or Africa, you will not find any subnational government that has not presented the 2026 appropriation bill.

“Who would believe that in this 21st century a state like River won’t have an appropriation bill either presented or passed? Nothing is holding the governor from presenting it; he chose not to.

“And the governor has been boasting that he will always go and meet the president for him to call us and give us instruction. He has been saying to his followers that this 10th Rivers Assembly is nothing but a toothless bulldog, and we can’t do anything or enforce the constitution.

“This is a sad commentary for our democracy. Sir Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy are nothing but a threat to democracy, and if they are left in office, I don’t know what will happen.”

He added that the impeachment move was primarily based on the refusal to present the budget, noting that several meetings had previously been held with President Tinubu and the former governor of the state and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in an effort to resolve the crisis. (Vanguard)

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