Political uncertainty deepened in Rivers State yesterday as lawmakers advanced impeachment moves and halted fiscal planning, even as Governor Siminalayi Fubara travelled out of the country to brief President Bola Tinubu on the power tussle rocking the state.

The governor is believed to be making arrangements to see the President amid escalating political tension, following the Assembly’s sudden commencement of impeachment proceedings against him.

Sources at Government House, Port Harcourt, said Fubara travelled alongside his unofficial Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, aboard a Rivers State Government-owned private jet in anticipation of meeting the President, who is currently on vacation in France.

The trip, according to the sources, was intended to alert the President to impeachment plans that were initially expected to be tabled before the Assembly on Monday.

However, in an unexpected turn, lawmakers loyal to the former governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly moved the timetable forward by commencing impeachment proceedings yesterday, a development said to have caught the executive arm unprepared.

Contacted for comment, the Special Adviser to the governor on Political Matters, Mr Darlington Orji, told The Guardian that he would not respond to issues surrounding the political situation in the state yesterday. He later switched off his phone when further enquiries were made.

Sources also confirmed that the governor remains out of the country. Political tension escalated in the state yesterday as the House of Assembly resolved to bar Fubara from presenting the state’s Mid-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the 2026 budget, pending the conclusion of a probe against him and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

The decision was taken during plenary, where lawmakers formally commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct.

The House adopted a motion sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, and another member, mandating an investigation into the governor’s financial and administrative actions.

Central to the allegations are claims that the governor failed to submit the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework as required by law and spent public funds without legislative appropriation.

Lawmakers argued that the alleged actions constituted grave violations of constitutional provisions and undermined the legislature’s authority.

During deliberations, several members accused the governor of what they described as recalcitrant disobedience to President Bola Tinubu, claiming that the President had intervened on several occasions to broker peace in the state’s lingering political crisis.

According to the legislators, the governor allegedly failed to honour resolutions reached during those interventions, thereby worsening the standoff between the executive and the legislature.

As part of the resolutions, the Assembly expressly barred Fubara from presenting the MTEF and the 2026 budget until the conclusion of the probe into the alleged acts of gross misconduct.

Addressing the chamber, Speaker Martin Amaewhule said the Assembly would not abdicate its constitutional responsibilities.

“We will follow due process to the letter. The law must take its full course,” Amaewhule said, adding that the impeachment proceedings would be pursued to their logical conclusion.

He also cited a Supreme Court judgment, which he claimed indicted both the governor and his deputy, insisting that the crisis should not be framed as a personal conflict between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

“This is not about personalities. The governor is not fighting any individual; he is fighting against the Constitution,” the Speaker said.

APC leaders demand removal of Wike as FCT minister

Meanwhile, a coalition of leaders within the All Progressives Congress (APC), operating under the APC Leaders Forum (ALF) and the Tinubu/Shettima Solidarity Movement (TSSM), has called for the immediate removal of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over alleged insubordination, anti-party activities and threats to national unity.

In an open letter dated January 7, 2026, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu through the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, the groups accused Mr Wike of conduct they said was incompatible with his continued stay in the cabinet of an APC-led government.

The letter, jointly signed by leaders of the two groups, was made public on Wednesday as members staged a peaceful rally at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja. The groups said the rally was part of a broader mobilisation to defend party integrity, democratic values and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.

The signatories: Dr Emeka Okoro, Dr Adekunle Balogun, Ibrahim Yusuf and Abdulkareem Isiaka, who described themselves as loyal supporters of the President, said their decision to speak out was driven by what they termed “egregious misconduct” by the former Rivers State governor. They warned that silence could endanger party unity and national stability.

Central to their grievances were allegations that Wike, who they said is not formally registered as a member of the APC, had launched sustained attacks on the party’s national leadership.

They cited remarks allegedly made by the minister during a visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State on January 5, 2026, where he was said to have accused the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, of interfering in Rivers politics for personal gain.

According to the letter, Wike’s comments, including a warning that those meddling in Rivers affairs would “get their fingers burnt”, amounted to intimidation and a direct insult to the APC National Working Committee. The groups said such statements undermined the authority of the party leadership and violated the discipline expected of a serving minister.

The coalition also accused Wike of working against the APC-led government in Rivers State, alleging that he had persistently attacked Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whom they described as the party’s duly elected governor in the state.

They claimed Wike had publicly ridiculed Fubara’s leadership, questioned the legitimacy of his emergence and openly suggested that his election should be reversed in 2027.

Part of the letter reads: “Wike’s ongoing vendetta against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, our duly elected APC Governor in Rivers State, is nothing short of political sabotage. He has repeatedly mocked Fubara’s leadership, called his emergence a ‘mistake’ to be corrected in 2027, and accused him of betrayal and incompetence.”

The groups argued that such conduct amounted to political sabotage and anti-party activity, particularly coming from a minister in an APC administration, warning that it could weaken the party’s foothold in the strategically important Niger Delta state.

They also accused Wike of making statements they said posed a direct challenge to presidential authority and national security, pointing to remarks attributed to him suggesting that “nobody can enter Rivers State”.

Describing the comments as a veiled threat, the groups warned that such rhetoric could inflame tensions in the Niger Delta and embolden lawlessness. They said any suggestion of restricting access to a Nigerian state was an affront to the President’s authority as Commander-in-Chief.

The APC leaders further criticised Wike for allegedly admitting to controlling “two political parties” while serving as a minister, describing it as a conflict of interest and a violation of party ethics.

They warned that retaining Wike in the cabinet could plunge the APC into avoidable crises ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging President Tinubu to act decisively.

The groups also announced plans to extend their protests nationwide, vowing to mobilise rallies across states and local governments until the minister is relieved of his appointment.

While calling for swift action, the signatories urged the President to demonstrate that no individual is above the party or the country, even as they reaffirmed their support for his leadership and re-election bid.

Rivers APC rejects impeachment moves against Fubara, deputy

Similarly, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress rejected moves within the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, describing the development as untenable and warning against actions capable of destabilising the state government.

In a statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, the APC said its attention had been drawn to what it described as “unfortunate developments” emanating from the Assembly.

While acknowledging the legislature as an independent arm of government with constitutional powers of checks and balances, the party said it strongly opposed the resort to impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.

“Our position as of today on this matter is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our Governor and his deputy,” the statement said.

The party warned that it would be “totally untenable” to remain silent while what it described as unresolved internal disputes from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party were allowed to resurface within the APC in Rivers State.

Addressing claims that the impeachment threat was linked to budgetary issues, the APC recalled that during the period of emergency rule, a budget was transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025 and subsequently approved by the Senate on June 25, 2025, and by the House of Representatives on July 22, 2025, with a total size of N1.485 trillion.

According to the party, the budget was designed to run for one year until August 2026, adding that if the governor was comfortable with its provisions, he was not under an obligation to present a supplementary budget.

The APC also noted that the Constitution permits a six-month spending window into a new fiscal year by a state governor.The party urged members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, particularly those elected on the APC platform, to resist what it described as external pressures aimed at destabilising the government of Rivers State.

It called on lawmakers to prioritise peace and stability in the state, warning that political instability would be detrimental to governance and development.

ADC monitoring Rivers impeachment process, says Abdullahi

In its reaction, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it was closely monitoring political developments in Rivers State before taking a position on the impeachment process initiated against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this in an interview with journalists, saying the ADC would respond only after a careful assessment of events in the state.

“We’re studying the political development in Rivers. Let us study it, see what happens and then take an informed position on the matter,” Abdullahi said. He was reacting to impeachment proceedings commenced by the Rivers State House of Assembly against the governor and his deputy.

The process was set in motion during yesterday’s plenary session of the Assembly, presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, where allegations of gross misconduct against Fubara were formally presented.

Lawmakers said the impeachment process was being conducted in line with constitutional provisions. The plenary, which was broadcast live on Channels Television, featured the Majority Leader, Major Jack, reading the notice of allegations detailing claims of gross misconduct against the governor.

According to the Assembly, the notice was endorsed by 26 lawmakers, who alleged that the governor’s actions contravened provisions of the Nigerian Constitution. Amaewhule said the notice would be served on Fubara within seven days, marking the formal commencement of the impeachment process.

Residents fault renewed impeachment move against Rivers governor

Residents of Rivers State have expressed concern over what they described as growing political instability, warning that the renewed impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara signals further retrogression and is ill-timed.

The concerns followed the initiation of fresh impeachment proceedings by the Rivers State House of Assembly against the governor and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

The latest development represents the third impeachment attempt against Fubara, following earlier moves on October 30, 2023, and March 17, 2025.

In the new action, 26 lawmakers accused the governor of gross misconduct, including alleged spending of public funds without an approved budget.

The renewed impeachment push comes amid heightened political tension in the state following the return of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to Rivers State since the festive season. His public statements are seen by some observers as confirming the collapse of the peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu on September 18, 2025.

During his “thank you” tour of local government areas, Wike reportedly said the state would “correct the mistakes of 2023”, while stressing that occupying the office of governor does not automatically confer leadership of a political party or guarantee electoral tickets.

Reacting to the renewed impeachment move, a former Special Adviser to then Governor Wike, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, described the development as “quite unfortunate”, attributing the resurgence of political hostilities to what he termed unnecessary power struggles.

He accused the minister of allegedly using members of the House of Assembly to pursue personal political interests, arguing that Rivers State does not need renewed political turmoil at a time residents are grappling with economic and social challenges.

“We do not need this now. The people are tired of the constant political crises. This whole saga is not in the interest of Rivers people; it is egocentric and self-serving,” he said.

Inko-Tariah also urged President Tinubu to intervene by calling the minister to order, warning that what he described as premature political campaigns disguised as thanksgiving tours could further destabilise the state.

Similarly, an entrepreneur and auto mechanic in the state, Mr Akinwatimi Akinola Joshua, said the unfolding situation had negatively affected economic activities.

“Businesses have slowed down drastically. Nothing is moving. Since the state of emergency, the state has stagnated. The House of Assembly and all political actors should give peace a chance and allow the governor to complete his tenure,” he said.

Also speaking, a trader at Mile One Market, Mrs Caroline Ibinabo, said it was disheartening that the political class appeared unwilling to allow residents to enjoy a period of stability. She called on all parties to embrace peace, stressing that Rivers State urgently needs development rather than prolonged political battles.

‘Why Rivers Assembly insists on pursuing Fubara’s impeachment’

The Rivers State House of Assembly has said it is determined to see the ongoing impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara through to its conclusion, insisting that the issues involved are constitutional rather than political.

The spokesman of the House, Enemi George, said yesterday that lawmakers would not back down, arguing that the governor had repeatedly breached constitutional provisions.

Speaking on Channels Television, George said the governor had allegedly “committed the same offence over and over again, and therefore the hope of getting a political solution to this matter is not realisable.” He dismissed claims that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was influencing the lawmakers’ actions.

“For anybody to assume that Wike is motivating the lawmakers is to reduce a constitutional matter to a political issue,” he said, adding that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were acting independently within the powers granted them by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Reacting to reports that funds were transferred into lawmakers’ accounts, George said he rejected the money.

“As the spokesman of the House, I rejected the money because it has no constitutional provision, and I do not want to go to jail,” he said, without disclosing the source or purpose of the funds.

George also denied suggestions that the impeachment move was driven by Governor Fubara’s alleged refusal to allow lawmakers to insert personal interests into the state budget. He said the governor had not approached the House to discuss the 2026 budget and had not properly presented the 2024 and 2025 budgets in line with constitutional provisions.

Under Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution, governors are required to present appropriation bills to the House of Assembly for consideration and approval before public funds are lawfully spent.

The assembly spokesman accused the governor of what he described as “reckless impunity” in spending state funds without legislative appropriation, which he said amounted to a serious constitutional breach.

He further alleged that the governor had failed to appoint commissioners as required under Section 192 of the Constitution, claiming that the state was being run by unelected aides, cronies and family members.

According to him, the actions cited constituted impeachable offences under Section 188 of the Constitution, which outlines the procedure for the removal of a governor for gross misconduct.

Asked whether the lawmakers would reconsider their stance if President Bola Tinubu intervened, George said such a possibility might no longer be feasible, alleging that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had committed both pre- and post-state-of-emergency offences.

“There is no guarantee that he is open to change or repentant,” he added. (Guardian)

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