PORT HARCOURT — In a major escalation of the political standoff in Nigeria’s oil hub, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have formally urged the National Assembly to assume the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The demand, made on Friday, January 23, 2026, follows what critics describe as a total collapse of constitutional order and legislative propriety in the state. Speaking under the aegis of the APC Leaders Forum, the group urged federal lawmakers to invoke Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the National Assembly to take over a state legislature if it can no longer perform its duties.
The APC leaders, joined by a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) and media professionals during a one-week rally at the party’s secretariat, argued that the state assembly has lost its “credibility, legitimacy, and public trust.” The group condemned the ongoing attempt by the Martins Amaewhule-led House to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, labeling the move as a politically motivated “legislative coup d’état” aimed at destabilizing the state for partisan gains.
The move toward a federal takeover gained momentum after the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, officially declined the Assembly’s request to constitute a seven-man impeachment panel on January 22. The Chief Judge cited subsisting interim court orders that restrain him from acting on any resolutions from the current House of Assembly regarding the impeachment of the Governor and Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Odu.
While the pro-Wike faction in the Assembly insists on proceeding with the ouster, the Emeka Beke-led APC faction in Rivers has distanced itself from the plot, warning that the “choreographed” crisis is being orchestrated by the FCT Minister to punish the Governor for his refusal to grant “unrestricted access” to the state treasury.
As of Saturday, January 24, 2026, the National Assembly has not yet moved to inaugurate a committee for the takeover, but federal lawmakers are reportedly monitoring the situation closely. Analysts warn that a successful federal intervention would mark a historic shift in the state’s power dynamics, potentially neutralizing local legislative threats against Governor Fubara ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
