PORTHARCOURT: The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday failed to resume plenary, one week after adjourning its last sitting, amid rumours of an alleged plot to impeach the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule.
The Assembly had, at its previous sitting, initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct. The lawmakers cited issues including the demolition of the Assembly complex and expenditure without legislative approval.
Following the move, the Clerk of the House was directed to serve an impeachment notice on the governor, granting him seven days to respond. The Assembly then adjourned till Thursday, January 15, 2026.
However, political tensions heightened in the days that followed, with four lawmakers formally withdrawing from the impeachment process and calling for dialogue and reconciliation.
When the House was expected to reconvene at its temporary sitting venue the conference hall of its legislative quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt there was no activity. No official explanation was given for the failure to sit, and lawmakers offered no indication of when plenary would resume.
Efforts to reach the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, Dr Eneme George, were unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor responded to messages.
A senior government official, who spoke anonymously, alleged that plans were underway to impeach the Speaker, forcing him to avoid reconvening the House.
The official described the lawmakers’ conduct as theatrical, likening it to Nollywood-style acting.
Former federal lawmaker and ex-Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, said recent developments suggested growing pressure within the Assembly to abandon impeachment and pursue reconciliation.
He stressed the need for cooperation between the executive and legislative arms to restore peace and stability in the state.
Earlier, Minority Leader Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey, alongside two female lawmakers Barile Nwakoh and Emilia Amadi had publicly withdrawn support for the impeachment process, urging a political solution to the crisis.
Several stakeholders, including the Pan Niger Delta Forum and the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Forum, have also intervened, setting up mediation efforts to resolve the rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
