By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
IN a major political turnaround, the Rivers State House of Assembly has halted impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma Odu, signalling a possible end to the protracted crisis that has gripped the state for over two years.
The decision was announced during plenary on Thursday, 19 February 2026, by the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule.
He disclosed that the Assembly had formally discontinued the impeachment process and that all pending court cases filed by the governor, his deputy and the legislature had been withdrawn.
Governor Fubara and the Assembly had been at loggerheads in a bitter power struggle that significantly disrupted governance in the oil-rich state.
The standoff at its peak led to the suspension of the governor, his deputy and members of the Assembly, as well as the declaration of a six-month state of emergency.
In early January 2026, the Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy for the third time, citing allegations of gross misconduct.
The accusations included budgetary impropriety, unauthorised expenditures, failure to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill on schedule, and the alleged withholding of statutory allocations to the legislature.
The move heightened political tension and triggered a flurry of legal actions. On 16 January 2026, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo issued an interim injunction restraining the Assembly, the Speaker, the Clerk and the Chief Judge from taking further steps on the impeachment notice.
The order effectively stalled the process, including the planned constitution of a seven-member investigative panel.
Subsequent proceedings saw related suits filed by Governor Fubara and Deputy Odu adjourned indefinitely, even as the Assembly maintained it would press ahead despite court interventions.
However, announcing the suspension of the impeachment, Speaker Amaewhule said the decision followed high-level political intervention by President Bola Tinubu, alongside reconciliation efforts involving key stakeholders, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Lawmakers expressed optimism that the resolution would restore stability and allow governance to proceed without further constitutional breaches.
They also urged the governor and his deputy to act strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution going forward.
The latest development is widely seen as a significant step towards restoring political calm in Rivers State after months of uncertainty and institutional paralysis.
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