Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martins Amaewhule, has criticised Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma Odu, accusing their administration of posing a serious risk to democratic governance in the state.

Addressing lawmakers during Thursday’s plenary session, Mr Amaewhule said the Assembly would formally document its concerns and transmit them to the governor and his deputy within the next 7 days.

The Speaker was unsparing in his assessment, declaring that the emergence of Fubara as governor was a ‘mistake,’ and alleging that the governor had intentionally weakened constitutional processes and the authority of the legislature.

He also faulted the executive for failing to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill, describing the delay as both unprecedented and humiliating for a state with Rivers’ economic and political standing.

Amaewhule argued that the situation was abnormal, noting that no other state in Nigeria, and possibly none in the wider West African sub-region, had neglected to present a budget for the upcoming fiscal year at this point.

READ ALSO: Rivers Assembly begins Fubara’s impeachment over gross misconduct

“In this modern era, it is difficult to comprehend how a state like Rivers has neither laid nor passed its 2026 budget,” he said, insisting that there was no constitutional barrier preventing the governor from submitting the appropriation bill.

The Speaker further alleged that Governor Fubara had openly derided the House of Assembly, boasting to supporters that lawmakers lacked the capacity to enforce the constitution and allegedly branding them ‘toothless bulldogs.’

He described the ongoing impasse as a troubling signal for Nigeria’s democratic system, accusing both the governor and his deputy of showing little respect for established democratic norms and due process.

Mr Amaewhule cautioned that persistent disregard for constitutional duties could severely undermine governance in the state, stressing that the Assembly would continue to carry out its oversight responsibilities and would not retreat from its mandate.

Impeachment begins

Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Prof Odu, over gross misconduct.

The move was announced during a plenary session on Thursday, presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mr Martins Amaewhule, and broadcast live on Channels Television. During the session, the Majority Leader, Mr Major Jack, formally presented the notice of allegations and claims of gross misconduct against the governor.

READ ALSO: Rivers lawmakers return N100,000 credited to their accounts by Fubara

A total of 26 lawmakers endorsed the notice, which they said was issued in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

Speaking during the sitting, Mr Amaewhule stated that the notice of allegations would be served on Governor Fubara within the next 7 days.

In a similar development, the Deputy Majority Leader, Ms Linda Stewart, read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct levelled against the deputy governor, Ms Ngozi Odu.

Mr Fubara and his political godfather, Mr Nyesom Wike, are locked in a political battle of supremacy in Rivers State. All the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are loyal to Mr Wike, who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under President Bola Tinubu. Mr Wike was expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) late last year but he has carved out his own faction of the party.

He claims he remains a member of the PDP but serves an APC government and has collapsed PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) structures in Rivers State into one to ensure President Tinubu returns in 2027.

“There is no APC or PDP in Rivers. What we have is Renewed Hope, and everybody must work together to deliver the President,” Mr Wike said on December 28, 2025.

“God detests ungratefulness. Anyone who is not grateful for the good done to him or her will eventually go down,” he stated, referring to Mr Fubara, who he claims to have installed as governor of Rivers State.