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By Oscar Okhifo
The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday formally began impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, accusing them of gross misconduct amid an escalating political crisis in the state.
The impeachment process was triggered during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, with the Majority Leader, Major Jack, reading a notice of allegations against the governor, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as the legal basis for the action.
In the notice, the lawmakers outlined seven allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Fubara, including the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex, alleged extra-budgetary expenditures, and the withholding of funds allocated to the Assembly Service Commission.
The Assembly further accused the governor of failing to comply with a Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy of the legislature, an action they said undermined the independence and effective functioning of the House.
A total of 26 members reportedly signed the notice of impeachment against the governor.
After the notice was laid before the House, Speaker Amaewhule announced that the allegations would be served on Governor Fubara within seven days, as stipulated by the Constitution.
In a related move, the Deputy Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, also presented a separate notice of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu.
The allegations against Odu include reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstructing the House of Assembly from carrying out her constitutional responsibilities, and allegedly conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the legitimate legislature.
She was further accused of seeking budgetary approval from a group other than the recognised Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as the alleged seizure of salaries and allowances due to lawmakers and the Assembly Service Commission.
Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, a leading critic of Governor Fubara, was present at the Assembly complex while the impeachment proceedings were ongoing.
There was, however, no official confirmation of his presence from the Assembly leadership or his media aides as of the time of filing this report.
The impeachment move represents the latest escalation in the prolonged power struggle between the executive and the legislature in Rivers State, with political observers closely watching how the crisis will unfold in the coming days as constitutional timelines begin to run.