Ayomide Otitoju
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the impeachment proceedings launched against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu by the Rivers State House of Assembly, describing the move as “destabilising and unnecessary.”
In a statement on Thursday, signed by party spokesperson Darlington Nwauju, the APC acknowledged the constitutional independence of the legislature but said it would not support what it called a politically motivated attempt to remove an APC-led government.
“Our position as at today is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our Governor and his deputy,” the statement read. The party also warned lawmakers, particularly APC members in the Assembly, against yielding to external pressures that could plunge the state into political turmoil.
The APC addressed claims linking the impeachment to budgetary issues, noting that a ₦1.485 trillion budget transmitted to the National Assembly during the emergency rule in May 2025 was approved by the Senate on June 25 and the House of Representatives on July 22. The party said the governor may lawfully decide not to present a supplementary budget and reminded the Assembly of the six-month spending window allowed under the Constitution.
“Let it be known that our party will do everything possible to ensure that the Government of Rivers State, which is an APC government, is not destabilised through fratricidal disagreements,” the statement added.
The warning came as the Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings on Thursday. During plenary, Speaker Martins Amaewhule presided over the reading of a notice of allegations against Governor Fubara by Majority Leader Major Jack, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. The notice, signed by 26 lawmakers, outlined seven allegations including the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding funds from the Assembly Service Commission, and alleged disobedience of a Supreme Court ruling on legislative financial autonomy. Amaewhule said the notice would be forwarded to Fubara within seven days.
Deputy Leader Linda Stewart also presented a separate notice of gross misconduct against Deputy Governor Odu, citing reckless spending, obstruction of the Assembly’s duties, and alleged approval of budgets outside the legislature’s authority.
This marks the second impeachment attempt against Fubara and Odu in less than a year, following a similar move in March 2025 after a political fallout with former Governor Nyesom Wike. That crisis led President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the Assembly for six months, with Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) appointed as administrator. Fubara later returned to office following a reconciliation process brokered by the president.
In December, Fubara formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, stating, “We cannot support the President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support,” following the movement of some Rivers lawmakers to the ruling party.
