Author: Gist Correspondent

The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, citing ongoing legal actions and political consultations.

The decision was taken during Thursday’s plenary after the impeachment process became enmeshed in judicial hurdles that stalled further legislative action pending the determination of court cases and broader consultations.

The impeachment drive ran into legal obstacles when the Rivers State Chief Judge, Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, declined the Assembly’s request to constitute the constitutionally required seven-member investigative panel, citing a subsisting interim injunction.

The injunction, issued on January 16, 2026, by Justice Florence A. Fiberesima of the Rivers State High Court, restrained the Chief Judge, the Speaker and the Clerk of the Assembly from taking further steps on the impeachment, following suits filed by the governor and his deputy challenging the process.

The move also drew political reactions from stakeholders across the country who expressed concern over the escalating crisis.

Amid the tension, President Bola Tinubu was reported to have convened a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa involving Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is widely regarded as the governor’s political godfather.

Wike later confirmed the meeting, saying it was initiated by the President as part of renewed efforts to resolve the Rivers political crisis. According to him, the talks were held on Monday, February 9, with Tinubu intervening to broker peace between the governor and the lawmakers.

Expressing optimism, Wike said the President’s intervention could bring lasting peace, noting that it was the second time Tinubu had stepped into the dispute and expressing hope that “it would be the last.”