The sudden U-turn by four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who only days earlier had appealed for dialogue between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the legislature but have now aligned with calls for the governor’s impeachment, has injected fresh uncertainty into an already combustible political crisis. The reversal, laden with political calculation, points to unseen forces at play and highlights the fluidity of loyalties within the Assembly, ANN GODWIN reports.

The fuse has been lit again. The countdown resumed after a brief pause. Yet, when the Assembly’s ultimatum against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, expired, the chamber remained conspicuously silent. That silence – deliberate, unsettling and strategic – has since shaped the state’s political conversation more loudly than any resolution could.

Explaining their volte-face, the lawmakers – Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuma), Peter Abbey (Degema), Barile Nwakoh (Khana I) and Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor II) – said the governor and his deputy showed no remorse following their appeal for an amicable resolution of the crisis. They alleged that instead, the executive camp responded with ridicule through media proxies.

Their stance was swiftly reinforced by the 26 lawmakers who had earlier endorsed the impeachment move. They reiterated that proceedings against the governor and his deputy would continue, describing impeachment as the only viable exit from the political impasse that has gripped the state.

Dressed in traditional attire, the legislators took turns in addressing the media in front of the Assembly quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, in what appeared a carefully choreographed display of unity.

Speaking at the venue, Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, declared that there was a collective agreement to pursue the impeachment, which includes members who had previously urged restraint.

“We have concluded – by all of us, including members who addressed the media a few days ago – that the impeachment process must go on,” Maol said, adding that the removal of both the governor and his deputy had become unavoidable. The lawmakers also urged Speaker Martins Amaewhule to reconvene the House and allow the constitutional process to proceed unhindered.

The renewed push came against the backdrop of the Assembly’s failure to reconvene plenary on Thursday, January 15, as earlier scheduled – a development that attracted widespread criticism and deepened public suspicion.

The House, led by Amaewhule, had last week, initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct, including the demolition of the Assembly Complex and alleged expenditure of public funds without legislative approval.

The missed sitting did not halt the impeachment drama; rather, it confirmed a growing perception that the process had entered a phase of cautious recalibration.

Significantly, this marks the third impeachment attempt against Fubara, following earlier moves on October 30, 2023, and March 17, 2025 – each episode widening Rivers State’s political fault lines.

Yet, the Speaker has maintained a firm posture. Addressing lawmakers during the January 8, 2026, sitting, Amaewhule insisted that the Assembly would not abdicate its constitutional responsibilities.

“We will follow due process to the letter. The law must take its full course,” he declared – words that suggest not retreat, but a strategic pause in a long and unfolding contest.

In the days leading up to the missed sitting, the four lawmakers had publicly urged restraint and dialogue after what they described as extensive consultations with elders and political leaders within and outside the state. However, sources within the Assembly told The Guardian that the appeal was undertaken with the Speaker’s approval – and funding – raising questions about whether it represented genuine dissent or a managed release of political pressure within an otherwise unified bloc.

Undoubtedly, developments on Friday, January 16, suggest that the lawmakers remain largely intact, having merely re-strategized towards a subtler route for achieving their objective.

Two broad interpretations have emerged from the pause. One holds that the Assembly was exploring an off-ramp through negotiation rather than open constitutional confrontation, which however failed as the governor failed to respond. The other sees the silence as tactical – a deliberate effort to lower political temperature, manage public perception, lure the executive into a sense of security, and re-strategize before striking again.

Complicating the picture are reports of unease in Abuja. Multiple sources told The Guardian that President Bola Tinubu and other influential political actors are displeased with the impeachment push, wary of its implications for political stability. Such interventions are rarely public, but within Nigeria’s power architecture, they often prove decisive.

In Rivers State, it is now clear that the palpable silence was no vacuum. It was pregnant – heavy with intent, calculation and the promise of another political storm waiting to break.

Legal realities also loom large

While Sections 129 and 188 of the Constitution empower state legislatures to investigate and, where necessary, remove erring executives, the process is notoriously vulnerable to procedural missteps. Nigeria’s political history is replete with impeachments that collapsed under judicial scrutiny – from Edo and Kogi to Oyo and Plateau states – largely because due process was compromised.

Some constitutional lawyers argue that the allegations against Fubara and Odu, regardless of their political framing, must survive strict procedural tests to stand. Failure to do so could render the entire exercise an expensive political detour with little legal consequence.

public Sentiment Appears Fluid

Observations by The Guardian suggest that some individuals, who initially aligned with the impeachment move, are beginning to withdraw support, describing the crisis in the state as increasingly detached from the everyday concerns of Rivers people. For them, the prolonged standoff risks deepening governance paralysis rather than delivering accountability. In fact, the state is yet to recover from the numerous losses including investments, revenue, human capital development, infrastructures etc since the declaration of emergency rule and after it was lifted.

Beyond the chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, reactions to the attempted impeachment of Governor Fubara have continued to ripple across the political landscape, drawing responses from community leaders and party stakeholders who see the development as either spent or politically misdirected.

A former Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Council of the state, Chijioke Ihunwo, described the impeachment move as effectively exhausted, urging residents, particularly those of Evo Constituency I, to remain calm and politically focused.

According to Ihunwo, the unfolding events should not distract supporters from what he described as the broader political project ahead.

“I have called on the people of Evo Constituency I to remain calm, focused and unwavering in their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara as we look towards 2027,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has also voiced reservations. Spokesperson of the Emeka Beke–led faction of the APC in Rivers State, Darlington Nwuju, said the party does not believe there are sufficient grounds to sustain the impeachment move against Fubara and Odu.

Nwuju argued that the move runs contrary to the ethos of the party, warning against what he described as the importation of “indiscipline and divisiveness” into the APC. He suggested that the impeachment effort appeared less about constitutional accountability and more about political calculation.

“What we see is an obvious attempt to set political booby traps aimed at undermining the future ambitions of the governor. But the APC is a progressive platform, and the collective interest of the party cannot be sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition,” Nwuju said. He further disclosed that the APC’s national leadership may invoke disciplinary measures against party members in the Rivers State House of Assembly who fail to align with the party’s position on the impeachment process.

Explaining the party’s measured public response, Nwuju said provisions of the amended APC constitution require members to respect party supremacy on critical political decisions, including impeachment matters. While the party’s official position is yet to be formally announced, he noted that internal mechanisms were already being deployed to de-escalate the crisis.

According to him, the APC has resolved that any member who attempts to undermine or destabilise an APC-led government in any state cannot be regarded as acting in good faith within the party.

When contacted, the Publicity Secretary of the Tony Okocha-led Rivers State APC, Chibuike Ikenga, declined to comment on the substance of the issue, saying the State House of Assembly was in a better position to respond.

Assembly’s supporters contend

Proponents within the legislature argue that the Assembly’s decision not to reconvene at the expiration of its ultimatum against Governor Fubara need not be read as weakness or retreat. They argued that the pause rather reflects prudence, institutional discipline and respect for due process in a highly charged political environment.

Supporters of the Assembly contend that impeachment is not designed to be a hurried spectacle but a constitutionally guided process that demands careful sequencing.

According to Emmanuel Dike from Obio/Akpor Local Council of the state, the missed sitting represents a deliberate step back to allow tempers to cool, consultations to deepen and legal parameters to be fully examined before any irreversible action is taken.

He argued that public pressure and media anticipation should not dictate legislative timelines. According to him, the House retains the constitutional authority to resume proceedings at a time of its choosing, provided the requirements of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution are observed.

Also, Ninabari Peters insisted that concerns about procedural defects are premature. On the question of external pressure, he cautioned against overstating the influence of Abuja top politicians, arguing that while national political leaders may express concern, state legislatures remain autonomous and are constitutionally empowered to act in the interest of their constituents.

Fubara’s political adviser speaks

Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor Fubara, Darlington Orji, told The Guardian that the Rivers State Government remains focused on governance despite the prevailing political tensions in the state.

Orji noted that while other states are concentrating on development, Rivers has been drawn into what he described as an unnecessary political confrontation, particularly as the electoral calendar for 2027 has not yet been activated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“For now, we are concentrating on governance until the drums are rolled out and INEC formally signals the commencement of the electoral process ahead of 2027,” he said. He added that the governor understands the political dynamics at play, warning that experienced political actors could easily lure individuals into actions that may not ultimately serve the public interest.

According to Orji, Fubara remains undistracted and committed to stabilising the state despite what he described as sustained political manoeuvring aimed at creating instability. He argued that Rivers State was increasingly being turned into what he called “a theatre of political acts,” with political gladiators exploiting the vulnerability of the average Rivers resident for selfish ends. Orji dismissed allegations of gross misconduct against the governor, describing them as politically motivated and lacking substance.

Providing background to the dispute, he recalled that after the lifting of the state of emergency, Fubara held a meeting with Amaewhule, the House Leader, Major Jack; and three other elders reportedly recommended by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He said issues relating to the supplementary budget were raised at the meeting, with the speaker expressing concerns that their interests were not accommodated. According to Orji, Fubara declined the request of supplementary budget but assured that all legitimate interests would be accommodated in the 2026 budget, a position which did not satisfy the Wike camp and hence stirred the ongoing fresh crisis.

Orji maintained that the administration remains committed to inclusive governance and dialogue, insisting that political stability and development, rather than prolonged conflict, remain the governor’s priority.

For a state accustomed to intense political contests, the coming weeks will be decisive. Whether the Assembly presses forward with impeachment or both arms of government opt for restraint will determine if Rivers enters another season of turbulence or finds a path to de-escalation. In the end, it is often the quiet moments, rather than the loud declarations, that shape outcomes. And in Rivers, the echoes of today’s silence will define the political narrative ahead. (The Guardian)

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