The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed a resolution directing the state’s chief judge to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, over allegations bordering on gross misconduct.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, presided during plenary on Friday, where 25 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion to forward the matter to the chief judge for further probe, in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Amaewhule directed the Clerk of the House to formally write to the Chief Judge within the stipulated timeframe to constitute a seven-member investigative panel to examine the claims.

The lawmakers, who were supposed to sit on Thursday, vowed on Friday that there was no going back on the impeachment of the Governor, who they accused of committing nine impeachable offences including unauthorised spending, and failing to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the assembly, among others.

The lawmakers had launched the process after Major Jack, leader of the assembly, read gross misconduct charges against Fubara, which was signed by 26 legislators. The majority of the law-makers are loyal to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who has been campaigning against Fubara’s re-election bid after accusing the governor of breaching a peace agreement they both signed before President Bola Tinubu lifted the emergency rule in Rivers.

Meanwhile, four law- makers, who pulled out of the move to impeach the Governor, have retraced their steps, and abandoned their earlier call for dialogue with the governor and his deputy.

The lawmakers are the Minority Leader, Sylvanus Nwankwo; Peter Abbey (Degema Constituency); Barile Nwakoh (Khana Constituency I); and Emilia Amadi (Obio/ Akpor Constituency II).