Thursday January 15, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
Two more members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Barile Nwakoh, and Emilia Amadi, have urged their colleagues to withdraw the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The House had on January 8, 2026, moved to impeach the governor and his deputy citing allegations of gross misconduct, including the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, and defiance of a Supreme Court ruling on legislative autonomy.
However, Hon. Nwakoh, representing Khana Constituency I, and Hon. Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II, urged their colleagues to halt the impeachment proceedings, emphasising that dialogue and diplomacy could better resolve tensions between the executive and legislative arms of the state government.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Hon. Barile Nwakoh said: “We speak for ourselves and not for the House of Assembly.”
“While we were part of the notice of allegation of gross misconduct against the governor and deputy governor, we have been urged by Rivers leaders and people to seek a political solution rather than pursue impeachment. This is not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of a forgiving heart and a commitment to constructive governance.”
Hon. Emilia Amadi added that assurances from the governor and his deputy to adhere to constitutional provisions and honour past agreements under presidential supervision could pave the way for reconciliation.
The NewsDESK reports that this development brings to four the number of lawmakers who initially supported the impeachment notice but are now advocating for a peaceful resolution, following earlier withdrawals by Sylvanus Nwankwo, Minority Leader representing Omuma Constituency, Peter Abbey of Degema Constituency.
The political crisis in the state continues to evolve, with indications that more lawmakers may follow suit and withdraw from the impeachment plot, which now appears increasingly unlikely to succeed.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, is expected to reconvene on Thursday, January 15, 2026, to further deliberate on the impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy, who are alleged to have committed gross misconduct.
On Monday, Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey had withdrawn from the impeachment proceeding, maintaining that although the governor and his deputy breached constitutional provisions, “their decision to seek a withdrawal of the impeachment move followed interventions by well-meaning leaders in the state.”
Speaking at the briefing, Sylvanus Nwankwo called on the Assembly to exercise restraint, saying: “We have called this press conference to appeal to our colleagues to temper justice with mercy and to see how we can resolve this matter apart from impeachment proceedings.”