In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, members of the state House of Assembly announced on Friday their intention to continue impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Ordu. The declaration came during a press briefing held ahead of the assembly’s sitting, where lawmakers accused the governor of undermining democracy and attempting to intimidate them through federal agencies.
The announcement follows reports that four assembly members, who had previously withdrawn from the impeachment process, have now reversed their stance and are backing the move. This development was highlighted in a separate briefing, intensifying the standoff between the legislative body and the executive.
In the main press conference, a spokesperson for the group of lawmakers addressed the media, stating, “We members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly agreed to jointly address this press conference today as a way for reaching out to our constituents and indeed the good people of Rivers State on the current matter of impeachment process against the governor of Rivers State.”
Despite pleas from leaders and well-meaning Nigerians to halt the process, the lawmakers decided to proceed. “This morning, the 16th day of January, we concluded that there is indeed a need to proceed,” the spokesperson said, noting that the decision includes members who had briefly reconsidered their positions.
The lawmakers cited several reasons for their resolve, primarily alleging that Governor Fubara has no intention of adhering to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “The governor does not have any intention to stop disobeying the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered,” they stated. They further accused the governor and his deputy of manipulating public opinion and leaders against the assembly, acting as if the House does not exist, and boasting that they cannot be held accountable.
A key accusation centered on alleged intimidation tactics. “While members were positively considering calls from stakeholders, the governor and the deputy governor are busy using paid media platforms to attack us in the media, misinforming the public as well as making plans to use state institutions like EFCC to intimidate us,” the statement read.
The group emphasized that previous attempts at political resolution had failed due to the governor’s unwillingness to abide by agreements. “Previous attempts at resolving the crisis politically failed because the governor does not abide by any agreement and cannot be trusted,” they said. They argued that impeachment, as prescribed by the constitution, is the only viable solution to address what they described as “infractions on the constitution” and a “real problem for our democracy.”
In a related development earlier on Friday, four assembly members who had urged a political solution on January 12 rescinded their plea. Speaking at their own briefing, the minority leader recalled, “On the 12th day of January 2026, myself and my colleague Adrabo Peter Abe addressed the press wherein we made a plea to our colleagues to seek for a political solution to this impasse that is going on between the Assembly and the Governor of Rivers State.”
However, they claimed the governor responded with attacks rather than dialogue. “During the pendency of this appeal, we found out that the Governor and the Deputy Governor have all employed their media boys and aides to continuously attack the Rivers State House of Assembly instead of seeking for the political solution which we offered,” the minority leader said. “It is on this basis that I, Adrabo Peter Abe, and my fellow colleagues have rescinded our plea.”
The lawmakers appealed to stakeholders and the public to understand their position, urging the assembly speaker to allow the constitutional process to proceed unhindered. They also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his demonstrated support for Rivers State.
The crisis in Rivers State has been marked by tensions between Governor Fubara and factions within the assembly, often linked to broader political alignments. As of now, Governor Fubara’s office has not issued an immediate response to the latest developments. The impeachment process, if pursued, could lead to further instability in the oil-rich state, with observers watching closely for potential interventions from federal authorities.