The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday halted impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, in a sudden move that followed the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
The decision was taken during plenary at the Assembly’s sitting in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State in southern Nigeria. Lawmakers moved a motion to suspend the impeachment process, effectively pausing the political showdown that had threatened to deepen tensions in the state.
Rivers State, located in the Niger Delta region, is one of Nigeria’s key oil producing states and has significant political and economic influence. Any instability in the state often attracts national attention.
The impeachment process had placed Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu under pressure, as impeachment in Nigeria is a constitutional mechanism that can remove a sitting governor if supported by the required legislative majority and backed by due process.
President Tinubu’s involvement appears to have shifted the direction of events. Although details of his intervention were not immediately disclosed, the timing of the Assembly’s action suggests high level political engagement aimed at calming the crisis.
The suspension means both the governor and his deputy remain in office for now. However, it remains uncertain whether the impeachment proceedings have been permanently dropped or merely paused.
The development is likely to influence political calculations in Rivers State and could reshape relations between the executive and legislative arms of government in the coming days.