The political crisis in Rivers State deepened at the weekend as the State House of Assembly signalled its resolve to proceed with the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, despite renewed mediation efforts by Niger Delta elders.
Twenty-six lawmakers in the 32-member Assembly have accused the governor and his deputy of “gross misconduct” and have continued to advance impeachment plans, even as they refused to meet a seven-member peace and reconciliation committee set up by the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF).
The committee, led by former Attorney General of the Federation Kanu Agabi (SAN), arrived in Port Harcourt over the weekend as part of efforts to de-escalate the crisis. While the panel held consultations with Rivers elders and political leaders, its attempts to engage the Assembly leadership proved unsuccessful.
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A source familiar with the mediation process said repeated efforts to reach the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, did not yield results.
“The committee tried several times to reach the Speaker directly and through intermediaries, but there was no response,” the source said. “Given the stature and tight schedules of the committee members, they could not wait indefinitely and eventually left, hoping for another opportunity to engage the lawmakers.”
The lawmakers’ refusal to meet the peace panel has heightened concerns that the Assembly is determined to remove the governor, regardless of mediation efforts. The committee has two weeks to submit its report, but its inability to interface with the legislature has cast doubt on the prospects of reconciliation.
The Assembly has adjourned plenary until Tuesday, January 27, 2026, amid apprehension that impeachment proceedings could resume immediately afterward. Lawmakers had earlier written to the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Simeon Amadi, requesting the constitution of a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations against the governor and his deputy.
However, the process has been temporarily stalled by a Rivers State High Court order restraining the Chief Judge from receiving or acting on the Assembly’s request. Legal sources say the injunction makes it unlikely that the investigative panel will be constituted unless the order is set aside on appeal.
At the national level, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted a cautious posture. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the APC would declare its position on the impeachment saga “when it is time,” fuelling speculation that party leaders are awaiting signals from President Bola Tinubu.
Governor Fubara, meanwhile, has sought to project calm and continuity. Speaking on Sunday at the grand finale of the NPA Port Harcourt International Polo Tournament, he dismissed the impeachment notice as a “love letter” and insisted that governance in the state remains steady.
“This 2026, which I thought would have been the finest, just landed me a love letter,” the governor said. “But we must move on. I’m still the governor of Rivers State, and we will continue to do what we promised the Rivers people.”
Fubara pointed to the successful hosting of the international polo tournament, which featured teams from Argentina and India and ended without any security incident, as evidence of stability in the state despite the political turmoil. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to security, investment and tourism, and urged visitors to serve as ambassadors of a “new Rivers State.”
With mediation efforts stalled, court orders in place and the Assembly unmoved, the standoff between the executive and legislature shows little sign of easing, setting the stage for a decisive political and legal confrontation in the days ahead.
