Before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the state’s House of Assembly amid the ongoing political crisis, there were already moves to impeach Fubara.
Had the impeachment succeeded, Fubara would have joined a list of Nigerian governors removed from office through impeachment during the Fourth Republic. Here is a rundown of governors who have been impeached since 1999, along with the circumstances surrounding their removal:
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1. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa State, 2005)
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the first civilian governor of Bayelsa State in the Fourth Republic, was elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003. However, in 2005, he was impeached over allegations of corruption, including theft of public funds, abuse of office, and money laundering.
Two years later, he pleaded guilty in court to six charges and was sentenced to prison.
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2. Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo State, 2006)
Rashidi Ladoja was governor of Oyo State from 2003 until his impeachment in January 2006 by the state’s lawmakers. His removal paved the way for Christopher Alao-Akala to be sworn in as governor.
Ladoja was reinstated in December 2006 after the court ruled his impeachment was unconstitutional. In 2019, he revealed that his impeachment was politically motivated because he opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid.
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3. Ayo Fayose (Ekiti State, 2006)
Elected in 2003, Ayo Fayose was impeached in 2006 alongside his deputy, Biodun Olujimi, over allegations of mismanagement of public funds and corruption, particularly linked to the Ekiti State Poultry Project.
Out of 26 lawmakers, 24 voted for his removal. His impeachment was later declared illegal by the Supreme Court. Despite initial reports that he fled the country, Fayose claimed he had gone into hiding for fear of his life.
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4. Peter Obi (Anambra State, 2006)
Peter Obi, who later became the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023, was impeached just six months into his tenure as Anambra State governor in 2006. He claimed his impeachment was due to his refusal to inflate the state’s budget.
Obi challenged his removal in court, and the Court of Appeal ruled in his favor, reinstating him as governor on February 9, 2007.
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5. Joshua Dariye (Plateau State, 2006)
In October 2006, eight out of 24 members of the Plateau State House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Joshua Dariye over money laundering allegations.
Despite legal challenges over the lack of a quorum, Dariye was impeached in November 2006, and his deputy, Michael Botmang, was sworn in as governor.
However, the Supreme Court later nullified his impeachment, and he was reinstated. That same year, the EFCC accused him of diverting N1 billion meant for ecological projects.
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6. Murtala Nyako (Adamawa State, 2014)
Murtala Nyako was removed as governor of Adamawa State in 2014 after being accused of misappropriating over N17 billion, illegally deducting workers’ salaries, and misusing local government funds.
Both he and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, were served impeachment notices in June 2014. A month later, the state assembly removed him from office, and Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri—then Speaker of the House—was sworn in as acting governor.
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These impeachments reflect a history of political crises, corruption allegations, and legal battles in Nigeria’s democratic process. While some governors were reinstated after court rulings, others faced legal consequences following their removal.
