An independent civic watchdog has cleared Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, of any wrongdoing, describing the ongoing impeachment proceedings against them as a politically motivated witch-hunt rather than a constitutionally grounded process.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Good Governance Advocacy Centre (GGAC) said a 72-hour forensic review of the impeachment notice and related allegations revealed no evidence of gross misconduct capable of justifying the removal of the governor or his deputy.

The statement, signed by GGAC’s country representative, Dr Zaccheus Ocha, said the organisation conducted an “exhaustive legal, procedural and factual analysis” of the issues raised by the Rivers State House of Assembly and found them “manifestly weak, speculative and politically motivated”.

“The Good Governance Advocacy Centre has concluded, after a 72-hour independent review, that there is no act of gross misconduct established against Governor Siminalayi Fubara or his deputy,” the group said. “What is presented as impeachment is, in substance, a political project aimed at personal and factional gains, not the protection of constitutional order.”

According to GGAC, the impeachment letter failed to meet the constitutional threshold required to trigger removal proceedings under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, noting that most of the allegations were either unsupported by verifiable facts or related to actions clearly within the discretionary powers of the executive.

The group said its review covered the impeachment notice, relevant constitutional provisions, financial records cited by lawmakers, and public actions of the executive since the administration’s inauguration. It added that none of the claims amounted to the “grave violation or misconduct” envisaged by the constitution.

GGAC also linked the impeachment move to the lingering political rift between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, describing the proceedings as an extension of unresolved post-transition power struggles.

“The pattern of events in Rivers State suggests that the impeachment proceedings are not occurring in a political vacuum,” the statement said, adding that the House of Assembly had become “a proxy battlefield” in a wider struggle to retain control of state structures.

The organisation faulted the speed of the impeachment process, saying it raised serious concerns about due process and fair hearing, and warned that continuing with the action could destabilise governance in the oil-producing state.

GGAC called on lawmakers to suspend the proceedings and embrace dialogue, urging political leaders, elders and civil society groups to intervene to prevent what it described as an “avoidable constitutional crisis”.

The impeachment move has heightened political tension in Rivers State and drawn mixed reactions from political actors and civil society groups, with GGAC insisting that transparency and strict adherence to constitutional norms remain essential to democratic stability.