The long-standing political feud in Rivers State has reached a fever pitch today, Thursday, 8 January 2026, as the Rivers State House of Assembly officially commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.
The move has triggered a sharp fracture within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with a pro-Wike faction openly backing the ouster while the national leadership remains in a state of cautious deliberation.
During a surprise plenary session this morning, the Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, read a formal notice of allegations against the Governor.
The 26 pro-Wike lawmakers cited gross misconduct, including the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, and a failure to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the House.
In a viral moment during plenary, Majority Leader Major Jack accused the Governor of converting state funds into foreign currency to influence federal officials in Abuja.
The Speaker announced that the Governor and Deputy Governor would be served with the notice within the next seven days, as required by Section 188 of the Constitution.
Consequently, the national and state wings of the PDP are now moving in opposite directions.
In a bizarre political paradox, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged as the Governor’s loudest defender.
Despite Fubara reportedly joining the APC himself in late 2025 (a move that mirrored the lawmakers’ own defection), the party’s state spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, issued a stern rejection of the impeachment today.
The APC argued that the state is currently funded by a ₦1.485 trillion budget approved by the National Assembly during the 2025 emergency rule period, making the Assembly’s claims of “extra-budgetary spending” legally untenable.
Under the Nigerian Constitution, if the Governor does not respond to the allegations or if the House is unsatisfied with his response, they must vote (by two-thirds majority) to request the Chief Judge of Rivers State to set up a seven-person panel to investigate the claims.
“This is the second major attempt to remove Fubara in less than three years. The last time, it took a presidential intervention to stop it. This time, the bridge seems to have burned completely.” – Political Analyst, Port Harcourt.
