The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended its impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, following a decisive plenary session in Port Harcourt on Thursday. The legislative body adopted a motion to formally halt the proceedings, a move directly linked to high-level mediation efforts by President Bola Tinubu.
The suspension ends a prolonged political standoff that had paralyzed the state’s governance. The impeachment threat stemmed from a deep-seated rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The conflict had escalated earlier this year when the assembly, considered aligned with Wike, initiated moves to remove the governor and his deputy over alleged misconduct.
President Tinubu intervened to broker peace, convening a meeting in Abuja that included Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, and key leaders from the Rivers State House of Assembly. This presidential engagement facilitated a reset in relations, leading to the assembly’s retreat from the impeachment path during its resumed sitting.
The decision to discontinue the impeachment process signals a potential de-escalation of the crisis that had raised concerns about governance and economic stability in Nigeria’s key oil-producing state. Analysts note that the resolution underscores the federal government’s willingness to intervene in state-level political disputes to ensure continuity.
With the immediate threat removed, attention now shifts to the implementation of any agreements reached during the mediation. The development is expected to restore administrative focus to state affairs, ending a period of political brinkmanship that had distracted from public service delivery. The successful ceasefire is viewed as a critical step toward stabilising Rivers State’s political environment, which is vital for the region’s social and economic landscape.
