Lawyers Launch Bid to Recall 26 Lawmakers Over Impeachment Move Against Gov Fubara

By Emmanuel Kwada

The political turmoil in Rivers State has taken a dramatic new turn as a group of legislative lawyers has initiated proceedings to recall 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, in direct response to their commencement of impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), a public interest organization of lawyers, many of whom are constituents in the affected state constituencies, announced the move in a formal letter dated January 8, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The letter demands certified true copies (CTCs) of the voters’ registers for all state constituencies in Rivers State, as a prerequisite for commencing the recall process.

ALDRAP stated that its members, as registered voters in the relevant constituencies, possess the legal standing to initiate such action under Nigerian law.

The association cited the lawmakers’ decision to pursue impeachment as a violation of the spirit of peaceful resolution encouraged by the Supreme Court’s February 2025 judgment, which urged harmony between the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Governor.

The letter emphasized that both Governor Fubara and the lawmakers are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and internal party mechanisms should have been exhausted before resorting to what ALDRAP described as “belligerent methods.”

ALDRAP further put INEC on notice, warning that legal action would be taken in court if the commission fails to provide the requested voters’ registers.

The recall threat comes on the heels of Thursday’s dramatic plenary session, where the House, presided over by Speaker Amaewhule, initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Twenty-six lawmakers signed a notice alleging gross misconduct, including refusal to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill, extra-budgetary spending, and undermining legislative authority.

However, ALDRAP has declared the impeachment notice “dead on arrival” for procedural flaws. The group highlighted two key issues:

1. A fundamental error in the impeachment letter served to Governor Fubara, where he was addressed as “madam”;a title typically reserved for females, despite the deputy governor (a woman) being correctly addressed in the same manner.
2. Lack of constituent endorsement or authorization for the lawmakers to proceed with impeachment.

This development intensifies the long-running feud in Rivers State, rooted in tensions between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike (now FCT Minister), whose loyalists dominate the Assembly.

The impeachment marks the third such attempt against Fubara since 2023, following previous efforts disrupted by political interventions and court rulings.

As the state braces for potential legal battles on multiple fronts, observers warn that the escalating crisis could further polarize Rivers politics ahead of future elections.

Both sides have yet to issue fresh official responses to ALDRAP’s latest move, but the demand for voters’ registers signals a potential grassroots counter-offensive against the Assembly’s actions.

The coming days are expected to reveal whether INEC complies with the request and how the courts might intervene in this deepening constitutional and political showdown.