Power Play in Rivers: Assembly Goes Silent Amid Alleged Plot Against Speaker

The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, failed to resume plenary on Thursday, exactly one week after adjourning its last sitting.
The development came amid rumours that some lawmakers were plotting to impeach Amaewhule during the scheduled sitting.

At its sitting last Thursday, the Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.

The House, under Amaewhule’s leadership, cited the demolition of the Assembly complex and alleged spending without legislative approval, among other issues, as grounds for the impeachment move.

Consequently, the Clerk of the Assembly was directed to serve an impeachment notice on the governor, giving him seven days to respond to the allegations. The House then adjourned plenary until Thursday, January 15, 2026.

However, amid mounting political pressure, four lawmakers between Monday and Wednesday formally withdrew from the impeachment process, calling instead for an amicable resolution of the crisis.

On Thursday, when the Assembly was expected to reconvene, there was no indication that plenary would hold.
The House, which currently sits at the conference hall of its official legislative quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, remained inactive. No explanation was offered for the failure to sit, nor was there information on when lawmakers would reconvene.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, Dr. Eneme George, were unsuccessful, as he neither answered phone calls nor responded to a text message as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, a top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the lawmakers as individuals more suited to the Nollywood industry than politics.

He said, “The other time they sat and gave the governor one week to respond to allegations against him. Now these people are like Nollywood players, they can act.”

He added, “I don’t even know what they are doing in politics instead of going into Nollywood to produce good movies.”
Commenting on the lawmakers’ silence and the rumoured impeachment of the Speaker, the official said:

“What I heard because I’m not close to any of the Assembly members was that there was an attempt to impeach the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, today. I think he got wind of it and decided not to reconvene the House.”

He further remarked:
“An animal that escapes a trap is still in the bush. Let’s see how far they can run. If this is true, then the hunter has become the hunted.”

Also speaking on the development, a former federal lawmaker, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, recalled the Assembly’s last sitting before its adjournment to January 15.

Nwuke, who represented Etche/Omuma Constituency in the House of Representatives, said it appeared the Assembly was beginning to soften after listening to various interventions, including those from within its own ranks.

The former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications stressed the need for synergy between the executive and legislative arms in the interest of peace and development in the state.

He said:
“After that sitting when they commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor, many developments followed. Four of their colleagues have withdrawn from the process.”

“They didn’t stop there; they also called on other members to withdraw. Naturally, expectations are high. The lawmakers will likely sit and review all of this. If there are rumours of impeachment, that is entirely an internal House matter.”

Nwuke emphasized the need for reconciliation to restore peace in the state.

He said:
“What great minds in Rivers State want at this point in our history is a clear understanding that there will be no impeachment, and that there will be a working relationship between the House and the executive arm.”

“These are the expectations, and I believe many Rivers people share this view. When the House reconvenes, the direction it intends to take should become clearer.”

Earlier in the week, the Minority Leader of the House, Sylvanus Nwankwo, representing Omuma Constituency, alongside Peter Abbey of Degema Constituency, formally withdrew their support for the impeachment during a news briefing in Port Harcourt, calling for a peaceful resolution of the political crisis.

Similarly, on Wednesday, two female lawmakers in the Amaewhule-led Assembly Barile Nwakoh of Khana Constituency I and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II appealed to their colleagues to discontinue the impeachment proceedings.

They called for a political resolution of the crisis and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, for their interventions.

However, they blamed the crisis on what they described as constitutional infringements by Governor Fubara and his deputy, as well as the governor’s alleged refusal to honour agreements reached under the supervision of the President.

They appealed to their colleagues to embrace a political solution, provided the governor assured them of respecting the agreements and governing in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Source: The Punch