JOURNALISTS' PERCEPTION OF THE RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY'S IMPEACHMENT OF THE GOVERNOR

This study assessed the journalists' perception of the Rivers State House of Assembly's impeachment of the Governor. The framing theory was anchored. This study adopted a positivist research philosophy, and employed a qualitative research design, using face-to-face interviews. The population for the study comprised all journalists registered with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and actively reporting political news in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which is approximately 150 journalists (NUJ, 2025). A sample size of 15 journalists was selected, representing 10% of the population, using a purposive sampling technique to ensure participants have substantial experience reporting political and legislative matters and are directly knowledgeable about the impeachment process. The sampling process involved identifying journalists with a minimum of three years’ experience in political reporting and invitations for voluntary participation. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and collected data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that journalists perceived the Rivers State House of Assembly’s impeachment of the governor as a complex interplay of constitutional procedure and political rivalry, indicating that motives were not solely legal but also influenced by power struggles within the state’s political elite. The study concluded that journalists’ perceptions of the Rivers State House of Assembly’s impeachment of the governor were shaped by a combination of constitutional procedure and political rivalry, highlighting that understanding motives in political crises requires careful consideration of both legal frameworks and the dynamics of power within the state. The study recommended that journalists should continually engage in training and workshops on political reporting to enhance their ability to interpret complex political events accurately, with the Nigerian Union of Journalists responsible for providing such professional development.