An editor with Arise News, Sumner Sambo, has insisted that the Rivers State House of Assembly must provide clear evidence that Governor Siminalayi Fubara was formally served with an impeachment notice in line with constitutional requirements.
Sambo made the assertion on Monday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, amid the growing controversy surrounding the impeachment move against the Rivers State governor.
According to him, Governor Fubara has consistently maintained that he has not been officially served with the notice of impeachment, a claim that places the burden of proof squarely on the House of Assembly.
Sambo explained that the 1999 Constitution clearly outlines the procedure for impeaching a sitting governor, stressing that the process can only advance lawfully after proper service has been effected.
He noted that once the governor and his deputy are duly served, they are constitutionally required to respond in writing to the allegations contained in the notice. Such a response, he said, must be submitted to the Speaker of the House, who will then circulate it among lawmakers before formally writing to the Chief Judge of the state to constitute an investigative panel.
According to Sambo, it is only after these steps are followed that the impeachment process can proceed legally.
“At the stage we are in right now, we need the Rivers State House of Assembly to prove that they actually served the governor and that the governor received the notice,” he said. “Whether the governor chooses to reply or not, the Constitution also provides clear procedures to deal with that situation.”
He cautioned against emotional reactions to the unfolding political crisis, urging stakeholders to focus strictly on legality and due process.
Sambo further emphasized that Section 188 of the Constitution is explicit and unambiguous on impeachment procedures, adding that both arms of government in Rivers State have competent legal structures to guide their actions.
“The Rivers State House of Assembly has its legal department, just as the executive arm, headed by Governor Fubara, has the Attorney-General of the state,” he said. “If all parties follow the procedure unemotionally and in line with the Constitution, there should be no legal challenge.”
The impeachment saga continues to generate intense political debate in Rivers State, with observers closely watching whether constitutional due process will be upheld as events unfold.
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