The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, following intervention by President Bola Tinubu earlier this month. Lawmakers adopted the decision on Thursday during plenary at the Assembly’s resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The impeachment process had begun at the first sitting of 2026, with the House accusing Fubara and Odu of gross misconduct, including demolition of the Assembly complex, unauthorised spending of public funds, and failing to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy. A notice outlining these allegations was presented by the Majority Leader under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
The proceedings ran into legal hurdles after Fubara and Odu challenged the process in court, obtaining injunctions that restrained the Assembly from advancing steps such as constituting an investigative panel. The Chief Judge also declined to set up the panel due to existing court orders.
According to lawmakers, the motion to halt the impeachment reflects understandings reached during high-level consultations aimed at easing political tensions in the state. All pending court cases involving the governor, his deputy, and the Assembly have reportedly been withdrawn as part of the agreement.
