The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rejected the impeachment proceedings initiated by the Rivers State House of Assembly against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, warning that the move is unnecessary, destabilising and capable of plunging the state into another round of avoidable political crisis.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the party’s spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, the APC said while it recognises the constitutional independence of the legislature, it cannot support what it described as a premature and politically motivated attempt to remove an APC-led executive from office.
“Our position as at today on this matter is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our Governor and his deputy,” the statement read.
The party cautioned members of the House of Assembly, particularly those elected on the platform of the APC, against succumbing to internal or external pressures that could destabilise governance in the state and damage the image of the ruling party at both state and national levels.
“It will be totally untenable for our party to keep quiet when an obvious hangover from strifes that occurred within the PDP are allowed to resurface in our great party,” Nwauju said, referring to the protracted political conflicts that had previously engulfed the state.
According to the APC, the impeachment move appears to be a continuation of old rivalries rather than a genuine effort to uphold constitutional accountability. The party stressed that Rivers State has only recently emerged from a deep political crisis that necessitated federal intervention and should not be pushed back into instability.
Addressing claims circulating in political circles that the impeachment threat was linked to budgetary and financial disagreements between the executive and the legislature, the APC recalled that a comprehensive budget framework was already in place.
The party noted that during the period of emergency rule in Rivers State, a ₦1.485 trillion budget was transmitted to the National Assembly in May 2025. The budget, according to the statement, was approved by the Senate on 25 June 2025 and by the House of Representatives on 22 July 2025, with provisions designed to run until August 2026.
“The budget currently in force was lawfully approved and is expected to cover government operations until August 2026,” the APC stated, adding that there is no constitutional compulsion on the governor to present a supplementary budget at this time.
The party further reminded the House of Assembly that the 1999 Constitution permits a six-month spending window into a new fiscal year, arguing that claims of financial impropriety or legislative exclusion lack sufficient constitutional grounding.
“Let it be known that our party will do everything possible to ensure that the Government of Rivers State, which is an APC government, is not destabilised through fratricidal disagreements,” the statement added.
The Rivers APC warned that proceeding with impeachment could undermine investor confidence, slow development projects and portray the party as internally divided at a time when Nigerians expect stability and effective governance.
Although Governor Fubara has yet to publicly respond to the latest impeachment move, the APC urged the Assembly to immediately discontinue the process in the interest of peace, unity and development.
The party’s reaction came shortly after members of the Rivers State House of Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy during plenary on Thursday.
Presiding over the session, Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, announced the formal receipt of a notice of allegations against Governor Fubara. The notice was read by the Majority Leader, Major Jack, who cited Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as the legal basis for the impeachment process.
Jack outlined seven allegations of gross misconduct against the governor. These included the alleged demolition of the Assembly complex, extra budgetary spending without legislative approval, withholding of funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and alleged disobedience of a Supreme Court ruling affirming the financial autonomy of the House of Assembly.
A total of twenty six lawmakers signed the notice, meeting the constitutional requirement for initiating impeachment proceedings.
Following the presentation of the notice, Speaker Amaewhule said the Assembly would adhere strictly to constitutional provisions.
“I will ensure that this letter is forwarded to His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, within seven days,” he said.
In a related development, the Deputy Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, presented a separate notice of allegations against Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu. The notice accused Odu of gross misconduct, including reckless and unconstitutional spending, obstruction of the legislative duties of the Assembly, and the alleged approval of budgets outside what the lawmakers described as the recognised legislature.
The impeachment move marks the second attempt to remove Fubara and Odu from office in less than one year. In March 2025, a similar process was initiated amid a bitter political fallout between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, which paralysed governance in the state.
That crisis eventually prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State. The president suspended the governor, his deputy and the entire House of Assembly for six months and appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd) as sole administrator to restore order.
Following months of negotiations and reconciliation efforts brokered by President Tinubu, Fubara was later reinstated as governor, alongside his deputy and the lawmakers.
In December, Governor Fubara formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC, citing the need to align fully with the ruling party at the centre.
“We cannot support the President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support,” Fubara said at the time.
His defection followed the earlier movement of several Rivers lawmakers to the APC, a development that significantly altered the political landscape of the state.
Observers say the latest impeachment move could reopen old wounds and test the fragile political balance achieved after the emergency rule. The APC leadership in the state has therefore called for restraint, dialogue and strict adherence to constitutionalism, insisting that governance should take precedence over power struggles.
As tensions rise, many stakeholders are watching closely to see whether the Assembly will heed the party’s call to halt the impeachment process or push ahead with a move that could once again thrust Rivers State into political uncertainty.
