By National Record, With Agency Reports
IN A SIGNIFICANT escalation of political tensions, the Rivers State House of Assembly has formally moved to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Nma Odu.
In a plenary session on Friday, all 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly unanimously resolved to proceed with the impeachment process against the state’s top executives. The lawmakers cited alleged gross misconduct as the grounds for their action.
In line with constitutional provisions, the Assembly has resolved to write to the Chief Judge (CJ) of Rivers State, invoking Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The letter is to urge the Chief Judge to constitute a seven-man investigative panel to examine the allegations against Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu. This marks a critical procedural step, moving the impeachment threat from a legislative resolution to a formal judicial inquiry.
In a recent separate but politically intertwined development, a coalition of APC leaders had launched a public campaign for the dismissal of Minister Nyesom Wike, who is alleged to behind the impeachment move.
The groups, operating under the banners of the APC Leaders Forum (ALF) and the Tinubu/Shettima Solidarity Movement (TSSM), staged a peaceful rally at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
The action was backed by an open letter dated January 7, 2026, addressed to President Bola Tinubu through the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
The letter, signed by leaders Emeka Okoro, Adekunle Balogun, Ibrahim Yusuf, and Abdulkareem Isiaka, accuses Wike of insubordination, anti-party activities, and conduct deemed threatening to national unity.
The coalition’s grievances centre on Wike’s continued involvement in Rivers State politics despite serving as a minister in an APC-led government.
They signatories specifically referenced remarks Wike allegedly made during a visit to Oyigbo LGA of Rivers State on January 5, 2026, where he criticised APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru for “interfering” in Rivers politics.
The letter alleges that Wike is engaged in a “vendetta” against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whom the groups describe as the APC’s duly elected governor in Rivers State. They quoted Wike as having called Fubara’s emergence a “mistake” to be corrected in 2027.
Furthermore, the groups interpreted Wike’s past statements about controlling access to Rivers State as a “veiled threat” and an affront to presidential authority.
They also criticised his alleged admission to controlling “two political parties” while serving as a minister, labelling it a “clear conflict of interest.”
The coalition warned that retaining Wike could weaken the APC in Rivers and plunge the party into crisis ahead of the 2027 elections. They announced plans to extend protest rallies nationwide until their demand is met.
All parties await the response of the Rivers State Chief Judge to the Assembly’s request and the reaction from the Presidency and APC leadership to the demands from within their own ranks.
