FISAYO AJIBOLA
Rivers State House of Assembly has begun impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh.
During plenary presided over by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, according to a live broadcast on Channels Television on Thursday, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Fubara.
Twenty-six members of the Rivers State House of Assembly signed the notice, which they alleged was against the Nigerian Constitution.
Amaewhule said the notice will be served to Fubara in the next seven days.
The Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, also read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Oduh.
Relying on Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, Jack reeled out seven points of alleged gross misconduct against Fubara.
Some of the accusations include the demolition of the Assembly Complex, extra budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and refusal to obey the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy of the house.
After Jack laid his notice before the Speaker, who said the notice would be served to the governor in seven days, the deputy leader, Linda Stewart, also brought forward a notice of gross misconduct against Odu.
According to the report, some of the allegations against Odu included reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the House of Assembly from performing its constitutional duties as outlined by the 1999 Constitution, conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the legitimate House of Assembly.
Other allegations were that she approached another group of people for budgetary approval instead of the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly, seizure of salaries and allowances accruing to the RSHA and the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission.
The move is the second attempt by the lawmakers to impeach Fubara and his deputy, following a similar one in March 2025.
In the notice signed by 26 members of the Rivers Assembly at that time, the lawmakers accused Fubara and Odu of gross misconduct after the governor fell out with the immediate governor of the state, Nyesom Wike.
Following escalating tensions in the oil-rich state, President Bola Tinubu intervened and declared a state of emergency.
The president suspended Fubara, his deputy and the Rivers Assembly and said the development is “required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.