Author name: The Historica Nigeria

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, has accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of undermining democratic governance in the state, following the commencement of impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu. Amaewhule made the allegation on Thursday shortly after the Assembly initiated the impeachment process over alleged acts of gross misconduct. According to the Speaker, the executive arm of government has repeatedly failed to comply with constitutional provisions, particularly on budget presentation and legislative approval of expenditures. “Nothing is holding the government from presenting the budget; he deliberately chose not to,” Amaewhule said. He further alleged that Governor Fubara had publicly downplayed the authority of the legislature, describing the Assembly as ineffective. “The governor has been telling his followers that this Assembly is nothing but a toothless bulldog, that the 10th House of Assembly cannot do anything and cannot enforce the constitution,” he stated. Read Also: APC Eyes Control of 30 States as Governor Yusuf’s Possible Defection Redraws Kano Politics Who is Afraid of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje? Rivers Assembly Initiates Impeachment Proceedings Against Governor Fubara, Deputy Amaewhule described the situation as dangerous for democratic governance in Rivers State, warning that continued disregard for constitutional processes could weaken democratic institutions. “This is a sad commentary for our democracy. Sir Siminalayi Fubara and Professor Ngozi Odu are a threat to our democracy. If they are allowed to continue this way, I fear for what will become of democratic governance in Rivers State,” he said. The Speaker also accused the governor and his deputy of spending public funds without the approval of the House. “They are moving from place to place, spending taxpayers’ money without the approval of the House,” Amaewhule alleged. He said the refusal to present budgets to the Assembly formed part of the reasons behind both the previous and the current impeachment efforts. Amaewhule further claimed that intervention efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to resolve the political crisis had failed. “Mr President has called several meetings, and our leader, Chief Nyesom Wike, has also intervened on several occasions,” he said. “But the governor maintained that he would not present the budget and that nothing would happen if he refused to do so.” The Speaker also alleged that the governor abandoned the 2023 Appropriation Law and continued awarding contracts without legislative backing, insisting that there was no constitutional barrier preventing the presentation of the budget to the Assembly.

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected moves by the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, describing the development as “untenable” and capable of destabilising governance in the state. The party’s position follows reports that the Rivers State House of Assembly had initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, with the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, accusing the governor of gross misconduct and reportedly describing his emergence as a “mistake.” In a statement signed by the APC’s spokesperson in the state, Darlington Nwauju, the party said it was deeply concerned by what it termed “unfortunate developments” emanating from the Assembly. While acknowledging the constitutional independence of the legislature and its role in ensuring checks and balances, the APC said it firmly opposed the resort to impeachment against the governor and his deputy. “Our position as at today on this matter is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our Governor and his deputy,” the statement read. Read Also: Rivers Assembly Initiates Impeachment Proceedings Against Governor Fubara, Deputy APC Eyes Control of 30 States as Governor Yusuf’s Possible Defection Redraws Kano Politics Defection Politics: How Yusuf’s APC Move Is Reshaping Kano’s Power Map The party warned against allowing what it described as “hangovers from internal strife” within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resurface and undermine the APC-led government in Rivers State. Addressing allegations linked to budgetary issues, the APC recalled that during the period of emergency rule, a state budget was transmitted to the National Assembly by the President and approved by both chambers in June and July 2025 for a total sum of ₦1.485 trillion. According to the party, the approved budget runs for one year until August 2026, adding that the governor is not constitutionally compelled to present a supplementary budget if he is comfortable with the existing provisions. It further noted that the constitution allows a six-month spending window into a new fiscal year by a state governor. The APC therefore advised members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, particularly those elected on the party’s platform, to resist what it described as external pressures aimed at destabilising the government led by Governor Fubara. “We strongly advise all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, especially APC members, to resist pressures from outside the Assembly chambers to destabilise the Government of Rivers State,” the statement said. The party stressed that it would do everything within its capacity to ensure that the APC-led government in Rivers State is not undermined by internal disagreements, urging lawmakers to immediately discontinue the impeachment process. It warned that proceeding with the impeachment could damage the image of the party and hinder ongoing development efforts in the state, calling for the preservation of democratic stability. “Let our state remain a democracy and not a politicocracy,” the APC added.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, following the presentation of notices alleging gross misconduct. The notices were presented during plenary in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and other relevant laws. The Leader of the House, Major Jack, read the allegations against the governor, while the Deputy Leader, Linda Stewart, presented the notice against the deputy governor. The lawmakers accused the governor and his deputy of several infractions, including failure to present the state budget to the House, expenditure of public funds without legislative approval, and the withholding of salaries and statutory funds meant for the House of Assembly, the Office of the Clerk, and the Assembly Service Commission. Read Also: Defection Politics: How Yusuf’s APC Move Is Reshaping Kano’s Power Map APC Eyes Control of 30 States as Governor Yusuf Considers Defection Why Ganduje Matters as Kano Politics Enters a Defining Moment Other allegations include the appointment of government officials without proper screening by what the lawmakers described as the legitimate House of Assembly, as well as the demolition of the Assembly complex. The 26 lawmakers maintained that the actions of the governor and his deputy demonstrate an inability to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities. In his remarks, the Speaker of the House assured that the notices would be formally served on both the governor and the deputy governor within seven days, as stipulated by law.