The Rivers State House of Assembly has said no political intervention will stop the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

Lawmakers on Thursday formally began impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy, accusing them of “gross misconduct”.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Enemi George, spokesperson of the assembly, said legislators were determined to carry the process through and rejected suggestions that political negotiations could halt it.

“We’ve had one too many political solutions,” George said. “It demeans the institution of the Rivers House of Assembly if everything we do is reduced to politics. What we are dealing with now is the law.”

The speaker of the assembly, Martins Amaewhule, has accused Fubara and Odu of actions that he said threatened democracy in the state. He also faulted the governor for what he described as a deliberate refusal to present the state budget in line with constitutional requirements.

George described the governor as a “recidivist”, saying previous interventions had failed to curb repeated violations of the law.

“A recidivist is someone who commits the same offence over and over again,” he said. “So what is the point of another political solution?

He further alleged mismanagement of public funds and the appointment of relatives into public positions without due process, claims the governor has previously denied.

George also addressed reports that lawmakers rejected a ₦100,000 “Christmas gift” allegedly credited to their accounts on December 30, 2025, saying there was no constitutional basis for such payments.

“We rejected it because I don’t want to go to prison,” he said. “That money does not belong to my family; it belongs to the people of Rivers State.”

He said earlier reconciliation efforts brokered by President Bola Tinubu failed because agreements reached were later breached.

“You can’t keep breaking the law and expect the president to come to your rescue,” George said.

The assembly had earlier issued a notice of allegations signed by 26 lawmakers, which was read during plenary by the majority leader, Major Jack. Amaewhule said the notice would be formally served on the governor within seven days.

The latest move marks the third attempt by the Rivers Assembly to remove Fubara and his deputy, following a failed impeachment effort in March 2025. Heightened tensions during the crisis previously prompted Tinubu to intervene, mediating talks between Fubara, Nyesom Wike, and lawmakers, which led to the governor’s return after six months. (BusinessDay)

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