Rivers Fubara impeachment tensions ease as APC leaders push for political dialogue to resolve governor and deputy governor crisis
Top officials of the All Progressives Congress, including prominent party governors, have initiated moves to resolve the political tension in Rivers State following a seven-day impeachment notice issued to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
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Sources close to the party confirmed that APC leaders are pursuing a “political solution” and engaging both Governor Fubara and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to prevent further escalation.
“There are underground moves already aimed at dousing the tension and resolving the matter. A political solution is being sought,” a top APC official told The PUNCH.
The crisis intensified when the Rivers State House of Assembly, presided over by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, commenced impeachment proceedings citing alleged gross misconduct by the governor and his deputy.
The Assembly claimed the allegations were prompted by Fubara’s refusal to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill for legislative consideration.
Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol and lawmaker Silvernus Nwankwo sponsored the motion, while Majority Leader Major Jack and Deputy Leader Linda Stewart formally read notices of alleged misconduct.
Allegations against Governor Fubara include extra-budgetary spending, demolition of the Assembly complex, withholding of funds, and failure to comply with Supreme Court rulings on legislative financial autonomy.
Deputy Governor Odu faces allegations of unconstitutional spending, obstructing the legislature, and authorising unauthorised personnel to occupy government offices.
Speaker Amaewhule described the governor’s conduct as a threat to democracy, stating, “Enough is enough. Rivers State has never had it this bad. The law must take its course.”
The House has given the governor seven days to respond and suspended consideration of the 2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Appropriation Bill until the investigation concludes.
Governor Fubara has yet to respond, with officials emphasising that a formal reaction would follow only after receipt of the impeachment notice.
A senior government source said, “Our priority is peace and stability in Rivers State.”
The Rivers State chapter of the APC, aligned with former Minister Rotimi Amaechi, rejected the impeachment.
Publicity Secretary Darlington Nwauju warned against importing Peoples Democratic Party disputes into the party, citing a previously approved N1.485 trillion budget under emergency rule.
Youth and women groups, including the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide and Rivers Women Unite for Sim, expressed concern that the impeachment process could destabilise the state. They called on political actors to prioritise governance and stability.
Civil society groups, including the Civil Liberties Organisation, cautioned that impeachment must remain a constitutional accountability tool and not a political weapon.
Meanwhile, NADECO-USA called on President Bola Tinubu to rein in Minister Wike, warning that failure to intervene could compromise the state’s peace and electoral credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Rivers political crisis is rooted in a power struggle between Wike and Fubara, whose defection from the PDP to the APC in December 2025 reshaped the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also read: Wike, Rivers, and the Politics of Loyalty
The conflict has created divisions within the legislature and disrupted governance since the governor assumed office in 2023.
