Port Harcourt, Jan. 22 — The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon C. Amadi, has declined a request by the Rivers State House of Assembly to constitute a seven-member panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma-Odu, citing subsisting court orders and a pending appeal. The decision effectively stalls the Assembly’s impeachment process.
In a formal communication to the Speaker, the Chief Judge acknowledged receiving the Assembly’s requests made under Sections 188(4) and 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution. He referenced two interim injunctions issued by the Rivers State High Court, Oyigbo, on January 16 in suits OYHC/6/CS/2026 (filed by the deputy governor) and OYHC/7/CS/2026 (filed by the governor). The orders restrain his office for seven days from receiving, considering, or acting on any impeachment-related documents from the Assembly. The Chief Judge is listed as the 32nd defendant in the suits.
The Assembly has appealed the interim orders at the Court of Appeal. With the appeal pending, the doctrine of lis pendens requires parties to maintain the status quo until the appellate court rules. The Chief Judge indicated he cannot act under Section 188(5) while the orders remain in force.
The development shifts the struggle from the Assembly to the courts. Next steps depend on the Court of Appeal’s handling of the Assembly’s challenge and any further directions from the High Court.
About The Author
