Plot to Remove Amaewhule Reportedly Thickens as Rivers Assembly Fails to Reconvene

The Rivers State House of Assembly did not resume plenary on Thursday, one week after it adjourned, amid reports of an internal plot to remove the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule.

The Assembly, led by Amaewhule, had adjourned last Thursday after initiating impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct. The allegations include the demolition of the Assembly complex and expenditure without legislative approval.

At that sitting, lawmakers directed the Clerk of the House to serve impeachment notices on the governor, giving him seven days to respond. The House then adjourned until Thursday, January 15, 2026.

However, political tension intensified during the week as four lawmakers formally withdrew from the impeachment process between Monday and Wednesday, urging dialogue and a political resolution of the crisis.

On Thursday, when the House was expected to reconvene at its temporary venue—the conference hall of its legislative quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt—there was no activity. No official explanation was given for the failure to sit, and no new date for plenary was announced.

Attempts to reach the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, Dr. Eneme George, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.

A senior government official, who spoke anonymously, said the Speaker may have opted not to reconvene the House after becoming aware of an alleged plan to impeach him during the scheduled sitting.

Meanwhile, former federal lawmaker and ex-Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, said recent developments suggested a shift within the Assembly following public and internal interventions.

Nwuke recalled that the impeachment move triggered wide reactions, including the withdrawal of support by four lawmakers. He stressed that resolving the crisis requires cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government.

According to him, many residents of the state expect a clear commitment to reconciliation, stability, and a functional working relationship between the House and the executive.

Earlier in the week, the Minority Leader of the House, Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuma Constituency), and Peter Abbey (Degema Constituency) announced their withdrawal from the impeachment process at a news briefing in Port Harcourt, calling for a peaceful resolution.

Two female lawmakers—Barile Nwakoh (Khana Constituency I) and Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor Constituency II)—also appealed to their colleagues to halt the impeachment proceedings. They supported a political solution and acknowledged the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The lawmakers, however, attributed the crisis to alleged constitutional breaches by the governor and his deputy, as well as the governor’s reported failure to honour agreements reached under the supervision of the President. They urged their colleagues to reconsider the impeachment if assurances were given that such agreements would be respected and governance conducted in line with the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Several groups, including the Pan Niger Delta Forum and the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Forum, have also stepped into the crisis, setting up mediation efforts aimed at resolving the political rift between Wike and Governor Fubara.