The Rivers State House of Assembly has shown no sign of backing down from its impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over allegations of “gross misconduct” leveled by 26 members of the 32-man legislature.
The hardline posture of the lawmakers was underscored at the weekend when they reportedly refused to grant audience to a seven-member peace and reconciliation committee constituted by the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF).
The committee is led by an elder statesman, renowned jurist and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN).
The PANDEF delegation arrived in Port Harcourt last Saturday as part of efforts to douse political tension in the state.
The team held what were described as “successful” engagements with the Rivers State Leaders/Elders Forum, chaired by former governor Rufus Ada George, with former deputy governor Gabriel Toby as vice chairman.
The delegation also met separately with the Rivers State Elders Council, led by Ferdinand Anabraba, a known ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, a meeting with the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly proved elusive. A reliable source who participated in one of the meetings disclosed that repeated attempts by the peace panel to reach the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, were unsuccessful.
“The committee made frantic efforts to reach out to the Speaker, Amaewhule, but he didn’t pick their calls. The committee also tried to reach him through Chief Anabraba, but still got no response,” the source said.
“We even persuaded the committee to wait a little longer in case the lawmakers would have a change of heart, but these are eminent and very busy people. They eventually left, promising to try again another time.”
The development has heightened concerns that the lawmakers may be uninterested in reconciliation and instead determined to push through with the removal of the governor and his deputy. The PANDEF peace committee was reportedly given a two-week window to reconcile the feuding parties and submit a report for further action.
Meanwhile, the Assembly has adjourned plenary to Tuesday, January 27, 2026, a move that has fueled apprehension across the state that impeachment proceedings could be activated immediately upon resumption. This fear is reinforced by the earlier decision of the Assembly to transmit a formal letter to the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Simeon Amadi, requesting the constitution of a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor.
Recall that the Agabi-led committee had, last Thursday, met with Minister Wike before holding another round of talks with Governor Fubara on Friday in Port Harcourt. The panel also engaged Chief Anabraba earlier in the week as part of its shuttle diplomacy.
However, fresh legal complications appear to have emerged. A credible source disclosed that there is little or no likelihood that the Chief Judge would constitute the investigative panel, citing a subsisting order of the Rivers State High Court.
“The state High Court has issued an order in which the Chief Judge was specifically mentioned. He cannot disobey the law; he must comply strictly with what the court has directed,” the source explained.
“There is the possibility that the Amaewhule group may go on appeal, but as it stands, the Chief Judge has been restrained. If there was no court order, the CJ would have had no option but to set up the panel.”
As the political temperature continues to rise, Rivers residents and stakeholders remain anxious about the next steps in a crisis that now threatens governance stability in one of Nigeria’s most politically strategic states.