The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday suspended the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
The decision to pause the proceedings was reached during the House’s resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, bringing temporary relief to a political standoff that has unsettled the state since January 2026.
The impeachment move emerged amid rising tensions between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
At the heart of the crisis was a prolonged struggle for control of the legislature and disagreements over budget approvals. The situation escalated after Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2025.
Out of the 32 lawmakers in the Assembly, 26 had endorsed a notice to activate Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to remove the governor and his deputy on grounds of alleged gross misconduct.