The House of Representatives has voted in support of the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

In a move that has split Nigerians and has continued to attract severe criticism,  President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months following the political crisis that had rocked the state.

But two days after Tinubu’s declaration, the House of Representatives in a voice vote backed the President, giving a seal of approval to his decision. Their support came following a letter from the president.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, 240 lawmakers attended the session on Thursday in Abuja.

The Rivers State government has downplayed the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, insisting that there is no formal communication from the state House of Assembly regarding allegations of gross misconduct.

The assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule and dominated by 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, issued a notice dated March 14, outlining allegations against Fubara and Odu.

The letter, signed by 26 lawmakers, accused the governor of reckless expenditure, obstructing the assembly, and making appointments without legislative approval, among other claims.

On Monday, Speaker Amaewhule announced the formal transmission of the notice to the governor and his deputy, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that impeachment allegations be signed by at least one-third of house members.

He also directed Fubara and Odu to respond to the allegations within the stipulated period of 14 days.

However, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Barrister Joseph Johnson, dismissed the move, stating that the letter was not addressed to the governor.

Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, he criticised the assembly for obstructing Fubara’s efforts to implement the Supreme Court’s recent judgement on the state’s prolonged political crisis.

Johnson added that the assembly’s actions were worsening the hardship faced by civil servants and pensioners due to the seized state allocation.

He noted that Fubara had demonstrated his commitment to obeying the court’s decision by directing local government chairmen to hand over to their administrative heads.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had also scheduled fresh elections for August 9, 2025, in compliance with the ruling.

This is the second impeachment attempt against the governor.

The first attempt to impeach Governor Fubara occurred on October 30, 2023.24 members of the Assembly had initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor, leading to significant unrest, including the burning of sections of the assembly complex and the eventual demolition of the complex.

Governor Fubara claimed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt involving police gunfire during these events.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the assembly has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Tammy Danagogo, over allegations of extra-budgetary spending.

The lawmakers also called on the EFCC to probe financial misconduct allegedly linked to Danagogo.

Their move followed allegations by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who accused the SSG of engineering the state’s political turmoil, including securing a court order barring Fubara from recognising the 27 lawmakers.

Reacting to the impeachment move, Abeni Mohammed (SAN) stated that removing a governor and deputy is a constitutional process that must be strictly followed.

“They must go through the State’s Chief Judge, who will set up a panel to determine whether the allegations constitute an impeachable offence.

The findings will then be returned to the Assembly before proceedings can commence,” he explained.

Mohammed added that Governor Fubara is unlikely to remain passive, given that the lawmakers have also breached the constitution by refusing to sit and adjourning indefinitely.

“The governor can challenge them in court to restrain any impeachment proceedings. Impeachment is a legal matter, and lawmakers must ensure they have not committed constitutional violations themselves. Let them serve the notice, and I am sure the governor’s lawyers know how to respond,” he said.

He also criticised the Supreme Court for interfering in an issue before the High Court, particularly regarding the status of the 27 defected lawmakers.

“The apex court had no reason to make pronouncements on whether the lawmakers had vacated their seats, as the matter was not before them.

“Their ruling emboldened the lawmakers, who themselves violated the constitution by defecting. Where and when did they sit to issue directives after indefinitely adjourning? They are playing politics at the expense of Rivers people,” he said.

Similarly, Taiye Oniyide (SAN) called for restraint, emphasising that both sides must prioritise the state’s interests over personal conflicts.

“This crisis has become unnecessarily personal. The power to impeach lies with the house, but this feud did not begin today. The entire nation is watching, and reasonable voices are urging caution,” he noted.

Oniyide further alleged that former Governor Nyesom Wike had tacitly approved the impeachment attempt through his recent comments.

“This is pure political vendetta. Unfortunately, the people of Rivers suffer the most, as critical development is stalled. Governance should not be driven by bitterness,” he said.

An explosion has rocked a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo Community in Gonna Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The explosion occurred late on Monday night near the Bodo-Bonny Road under construction

Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the atmosphere, with a raging fire spreading fast into the mangrove from a video that emerged on Tuesday morning.

The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.

When contacted, the Police spokesperson in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko said she would find out and get back to our reporter, though she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

The Punch