The Rivers State House of Assembly has taken a further step in the unfolding impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, by resolving to invite the state’s Chief Judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct.
The decision was reached during plenary on Friday, January 16, when 25 lawmakers supported a motion to formally refer the matter for judicial scrutiny, as provided under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
According to the lawmakers, the allegations against the governor and his deputy include claims of budgetary irregularities, failure to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the Assembly, unauthorised expenditure of public funds, and the alleged withholding of statutory allocations meant for the legislature.
Other actions were also cited as grounds for gross misconduct.
Following the vote, the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, who presided over the sitting, directed the Clerk to write to the Chief Judge within the required constitutional timeframe.
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The correspondence is expected to prompt the constitution of a seven-member panel to investigate the claims.
The resolution represents a continuation of impeachment proceedings that began on January 8, when formal notices were served on Governor Fubara and his deputy by the Assembly.
That process was triggered after Major Jack, the leader of the House, read out allegations of gross misconduct against the governor during plenary. The notice was said to have been signed by 26 legislators at the time.
The development comes against the backdrop of political tensions in the state, with most lawmakers reportedly aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Wike has opposed Fubara’s re-election ambition and accused the governor of violating a peace agreement they jointly signed before President Bola Tinubu lifted the emergency rule earlier imposed on Rivers State.