By Obinna Uballa
Four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have now called on their colleagues to withdraw impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, following the controversial move initiated on January 8.
The impeachment notice accused the governor of gross misconduct, citing allegations including the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, and defiance of a Supreme Court ruling on legislative autonomy.
On Wednesday, Barile Nwakoh (Khana Constituency I) and Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor Constituency II) joined the growing group urging colleagues to suspend the proceedings. Their appeal came barely 48 hours after two other legislators had publicly adopted a similar stance, advocating for alternative means to resolve the political crisis.
Although they acknowledged that the governor and his deputy had breached certain constitutional provisions, the lawmakers cited interventions by respected leaders in the state as the basis for seeking a withdrawal of the impeachment motion.
Earlier, on Monday, the Minority Leader of the House, Sylvanus Nwankwo, representing Omuma State Constituency, held a press briefing in Port Harcourt calling for restraint.
“We have called this press conference to appeal to our colleagues to temper justice with mercy and to explore how we can resolve this matter apart from impeachment proceedings,” Nwankwo said. He added that appeals from elders and leaders, both within and outside the state, prompted the intervention.
With the latest development, four of the 26 lawmakers who signed the notice of alleged misconduct have now publicly supported a peaceful resolution to the impasse.
The Rivers State House of Assembly is scheduled to resume plenary on January 15, 2026.
