A Rivers State High Court has issued interim orders freezing all steps by the State House of Assembly toward the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, dealing a significant legal setback to the escalating political crisis in the state.
The court restrained the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Martin Amaewhule, alongside 32 other defendants, from taking any action in furtherance of the impeachment process pending the determination of a substantive motion before the court.
In a related order, the court also barred the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from receiving, processing, or acting on any correspondence from the House of Assembly concerning the constitution of a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy. The restraint is to last for an initial period of seven days.
The interim orders were granted by Justice F. A. Fiberesima of the High Court sitting in Oyibo Local Government Area, Port Harcourt, while ruling on separate ex parte applications filed by Governor Fubara and his deputy.
Justice Fiberesima further directed that the court processes and interim orders be served on the first to the 31st defendants by substituted means, specifically by pasting the documents at the gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters. The Chief Judge, listed as a defendant, is to be served through any staff member at his chambers within the High Court complex.
The legal action follows resolutions and formal communications earlier forwarded by the Rivers State House of Assembly to the Chief Judge, requesting the constitution of an investigative panel as prescribed under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution to probe allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The governor and his deputy, in their respective suits—marked OYHC/7/CS/2026 and OYHC/6/CS/2026—are challenging the legality and procedural basis of the impeachment process, arguing that the actions of the Assembly violate constitutional provisions and due process.
Legal observers note that the ruling underscores the judiciary’s role as an arbiter in politically charged disputes, particularly where constitutional safeguards and separation of powers are in contention. The decision effectively places the impeachment process on hold, at least temporarily, and signals heightened judicial scrutiny of the Assembly’s actions.
The court adjourned the matter to January 23, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice. The interim orders will remain in force pending further proceedings.
The impeachment attempt has heightened political tension in Rivers State, drawing widespread attention from political stakeholders, civil society groups, and constitutional lawyers, many of whom are closely monitoring the unfolding legal battle for its implications on governance and the rule of law in the state.
