CSO urges Rivers Assembly to adhere to rule of law in impeachment bid against Fubara

By : Adamu Abuh

Date: 17 January 2026 4:41pm WAT

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Governor Siminilayi Fubara of Rivers State 2

Governor Siminilayi Fubara of Rivers State 2

A civil society organisation, the National Vanguard for Democratic Coalition (NVDC), has urged the Rivers State House of Assembly to strictly adhere to constitutional provisions in the renewed impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while insisting that due process must not be compromised.

The group stressed the need for lawmakers to exhaust all constitutional options to address the alleged disregard for the rule of law by Governor Fubara.

The NVDC’s Coordinator, Mr. Felix White, made the call in a statement issued on Saturday, warning that any attempt by the lawmakers to subvert the law would amount to a betrayal of democratic principles.

White said the development represents the third impeachment attempt against Governor Fubara since he assumed office in 2023, a situation he noted reflects deepening concerns over the governor’s relationship with the legislature.

The group accused the governor of allegedly fuelling the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State through actions he claimed undermined constitutional order and the principle of separation of powers.

According to the group, residents of the state are bearing the consequences of the prolonged executive–legislative standoff, stressing that peace can only return if the governor adheres strictly to constitutional procedures in his dealings with the House of Assembly.

At the centre of the controversy, the group said, is Governor Fubara’s alleged failure to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the Assembly, which it described as unprecedented among serving governors in the country.

The group stated that the alleged refusal to submit the budget, alongside what he described as the failure to recognise the Assembly as an independent arm of government, could be interpreted as gross misconduct under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the procedure for impeaching a sitting governor.

The NVDC urged the Rivers State House of Assembly not to retreat from the impeachment process should the governor fail to correct the alleged infractions, insisting that accountability must be enforced to protect democracy in the state.

White concluded that the “honourable option” for the governor, should he remain unwilling to comply with constitutional provisions, would be to step aside in the interest of stability and effective governance in Rivers State.

In other news, the Chairperson of the Rivers State faction of the Labour Party, Hilda Dokubo, has described the recent political crisis in Rivers State as an abuse of democracy.

The Martin-Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly moved to impeach the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, citing gross misconduct. This has thrown the state into another wave of political crisis.

Speaking on News Central, Dokubo berated the Rivers State House of Assembly for initiating impeachment proceedings, calling the lawmakers’ actions unconstitutional.”This particular administration has often done things that are not constitutional, and some of us have continued to question the constitutionality of what is happening and if we have already thrown away the 1999 constitution as amended.

“If we have, then we must make it clear to the people because the people in offices keep breaking the rules, and so we dont know what constitution they are operating on,” said Dokubo.

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