Legislative lawyers operating under the umbrella of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, have commenced steps to recall 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, following the impeachment proceedings initiated against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Track News Online reports that the affected lawmakers had on Thursday commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, accusing him of gross misconduct, including alleged financial misappropriation. The development has further escalated political tensions within the state.
ALDRAP disclosed that it has formally written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to notify the Commission of the commencement of the recall process against the lawmakers. The association confirmed that the move is already underway in line with constitutional provisions.
In the letter addressed to INEC, the legislative lawyers demanded certified true copies, CTCs, of the voters’ register for all state constituencies in Rivers State. According to the association, the voters’ register is a critical requirement for initiating the recall of elected lawmakers.
The letter, which was obtained by Track News Online on Friday, stated that several members of ALDRAP are registered voters and constituents within the affected constituencies. On this basis, the association argued that it is legally empowered to initiate the recall process against the lawmakers.
ALDRAP further placed INEC on notice that it would seek judicial intervention should the Commission fail to release the requested certified true copies of the voters’ registers within a reasonable time. The lawyers said they were prepared to pursue the matter to court to enforce their request.
Parts of the letter, dated January 8, 2026, and signed by the Secretary of ALDRAP, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, SCN, outlined the association’s position in strong terms. The letter formally notified INEC of the commencement of the recall of Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 25 other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who signed the impeachment notice dated January 8, 2026.
The association accused the lawmakers of acting contrary to an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in February 2025. According to ALDRAP, the apex court had advised members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to work in peaceful harmony with the governor by exploring and exhausting amicable means of resolving political disputes.
ALDRAP stated that instead of adhering to the spirit and letter of the Supreme Court judgment, the lawmakers had resorted once again to what it described as belligerent and confrontational methods. The association argued that the impeachment move was unnecessary and avoidable.
The lawyers also pointed out that both Governor Fubara and the lawmakers involved in the impeachment process are members of the All Progressives Congress, APC. According to ALDRAP, this makes the situation more troubling, as internal party dispute resolution mechanisms should have been explored before resorting to impeachment proceedings.
Describing itself as a public interest organization, ALDRAP said the recall process was being initiated to protect democratic principles and the will of the constituents. The association emphasized that the majority of its members are constituents across the various state constituencies in Rivers State.
In a further reaction to the impeachment move, ALDRAP declared that the notice of impeachment against Governor Fubara was legally defective and could not stand. The association described the impeachment notice as “dead on arrival,” citing what it called fundamental legal flaws.
According to ALDRAP, one of the flaws was the manner in which Governor Fubara was addressed in the impeachment letter. The lawyers claimed that referring to the governor as “madam” in an official impeachment notice amounted to a serious legal and procedural error.
The association also argued that the lawmakers lacked the mandate of their constituents to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor. ALDRAP maintained that the people of Rivers State neither endorsed nor authorized the impeachment process.
The development has added a new dimension to the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, with legal, legislative, and electoral institutions now being drawn into the dispute. As of the time of reporting, INEC had not issued an official response to ALDRAP’s letter.
Political observers say the outcome of the recall process and the impeachment proceedings could have significant implications for governance and political stability in Rivers State. Further developments are expected as the situation continues to unfold.
