Fubara leans on faith as rivers lawmakers revive impeachment move
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has urged residents of the state to remain calm amid the impeachment proceedings initiated against him and his deputy by the State House of Assembly.
The governor made the appeal during a church service held to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, where he assured worshippers that the situation would not destabilise the state.
Fubara said his decision to stay silent in the face of political distractions was deliberate, noting that he draws strength from his faith in God.
“The reason why I don’t complain is that I know who I am and I have what is supreme, and that is God,” the governor said. “So I want everyone to be relaxed. What is important is peace for this dear state, and we will get it by the special grace of God.”
He also recalled his remarks at the New Year banquet at Government House, saying that “dogs bark when they do not understand,” before briefly addressing the congregation and inviting his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, to speak.
In her remarks, Odu thanked those who attended the service and urged residents to conduct themselves responsibly, echoing the message of the Dean of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Blessing Eyinda, who warned during his sermon that every action would eventually be remembered.
She appealed to the people of the state to continue supporting the administration with prayers, describing such backing as the pillar sustaining the government.
The calm call comes days after the Rivers State House of Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, accusing them of gross misconduct and unauthorised expenditure.
The latest move marks the second impeachment attempt against Fubara since he assumed office in 2023, following a prolonged political feud with his predecessor and estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
In October 2023, lawmakers had initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor, but the process was halted after President Bola Tinubu intervened in the crisis at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. A subsequent peace deal signed by Fubara and Wike led to the formal withdrawal of the impeachment notice in December of that year.
However, the agreement later collapsed, with the assembly stripping the governor of the power to appoint caretaker committees for local government councils.
In March 2025, lawmakers again launched impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, serving them notices of alleged misconduct. While the process was ongoing, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on 18 March 2025, suspending all elected officials, including the governor, for six months.
Fubara returned to office in September 2025 after the president lifted the emergency rule, following another peace deal brokered in June between Fubara and Wike and their supporters.
That agreement has since broken down, with Wike accusing the governor of reneging on its terms. Fubara has also recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, a move widely seen as an attempt to secure political backing from the ruling party.