Michael Adesina
The Rivers State House of Assembly has taken a significant step towards potential impeachment proceedings by issuing a notice of “gross misconduct” against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
Martins Wachukwu, special assistant on media to Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the Rivers assembly, confirmed the development.
This development comes amid ongoing tensions between the governor and the assembly, particularly over the passage of the Amended State’s Procurement Bill.
Implication of the notice
The “gross misconduct” is the first step in the impeachment process, as outlined in Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution.
The notice must be signed by at least one-third of the members of the State House of Assembly and presented to the Speaker.
Gross misconduct is defined as a grave violation or breach of the Constitution, or misconduct that’s considered severe enough to warrant impeachment.
Here’s what must happen next:
The Speaker’s Role: Speaker Martin Amaewhule must serve Gov. Fubara, his deputy, and each member of the House of Assembly with a copy of the notice within seven days.
The Governor’s Response: Gov. Fubara has the right to reply to the allegations, and any response must be served on each member of the House of Assembly.
Investigation: The Rivers House of Assembly will then vote on whether to investigate the allegations.
If the motion passes with a two-thirds majority, the Speaker will write Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi to set up a panel of seven persons to further investigate the allegations.
Impeachment: If the CJ panel finds the governor guilty of gross misconduct, the House of Assembly can impeach Gov. Fubara with a two-thirds majority vote.
So, while issuing a notice of gross misconduct is a serious step, it’s not an automatic impeachment. The process involves several stages, and the governor has opportunities to respond and defend themselves.
