The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The decision was taken on Thursday during plenary in Port Harcourt after lawmakers adopted a motion to halt the process in line with resolutions reached at a meeting held at the Presidential Villa involving Speaker Martin Amaewhule, Governor Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and President Tinubu.
“In furtherance of the outcome of the meeting we held with Mr President and other parties, the governor and the deputy governor have gone ahead to withdraw the case they filed at the Rivers State High Court,” Amaewhule said.
He explained that the agreement required the governor to withdraw all suits against the Assembly, while lawmakers would halt the impeachment process. The Assembly also withdrew its case at the Court of Appeal.
“In response to their actions, yesterday we instructed our lawyers to also withdraw the matter we filed at the Court of Appeal, setting the way for the state to move forward. Having reported all of these, members agreed to halt the impeachment process against the governor and deputy governor,” he added.
Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol urged members to honour the President’s peace efforts.
“It is my position that we should respect the office of the President and halt the impeachment proceedings against the governor and deputy governor,” he said.
The House unanimously rescinded the impeachment notice, marking the third time lawmakers have stepped back from removing Fubara.
The crisis dates back to January 2026 when 26 lawmakers signed an impeachment notice against the governor over seven allegations of gross misconduct under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. Deputy Governor Odu also faced separate allegations.
However, the process stalled after the Rivers State Chief Judge, Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, declined to constitute a seven-member investigative panel, citing an interim injunction issued on January 16, 2026, by Justice Florence A. Fiberesima of the Rivers State High Court restraining further action.
The latest truce follows a February 9 closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa between Tinubu, Fubara and Wike. Wike confirmed the meeting was initiated by the President to resolve the prolonged political crisis.
The feud between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, had previously escalated in March 2025, prompting Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspend elected officials for six months, and appoint Ibokette Ibas as sole administrator. Fubara later returned to office after reconciliation efforts.
With impeachment proceedings withdrawn and court cases discontinued, attention now turns to whether the fragile peace will hold in Rivers State.
