The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon C. Amadi, has refused the Rivers State House of Assembly’s request to set up a seven-member panel to investigate allegations of serious misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Nma-Odu.
He said the decision was based on existing court orders and an appeal that is already before a higher court.
Justice Amadi made his position known in a letter sent to the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule.
In the letter, he confirmed receiving two separate requests from the Assembly dated January 16, 2026, asking him to act under Sections 188(4) and 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution to begin impeachment proceedings.
However, the Chief Judge explained that he could not act on the request because the matter is already before the courts.
He said, “By the doctrine of ‘lis pendens’, parties and the court have to await the outcome of the appeal,” the letter read in part.
“In view of the foregoing, my hand is fettered, as there are subsisting interim orders of injunction and appeal against the said orders.
“I am therefore legally disabled at this point from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in the instant.”
Justice Amadi noted that the Assembly’s request was supported with several documents, including copies of the allegations against the governor and his deputy, the Rivers State Impeachment Panel investigation procedures, and media reports.
Despite this, he revealed that his office had earlier received two interim injunctions issued by the Rivers State High Court in Oyigbo on January 16, 2026.
The cases were filed separately by Governor Fubara and his deputy.
In both suits, the Speaker of the House and 32 others were named as defendants, with the Chief Judge listed as one of them.
The court orders specifically barred the Chief Judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment-related communication from the House of Assembly for seven days.
Certified copies of these orders were attached to his response to the lawmakers.
Justice Amadi also pointed out that the House of Assembly has appealed the interim orders at the Court of Appeal.
He stressed that once a case is under appeal, all parties must wait for the court’s decision before taking further action.
He added that respect for the rule of law requires strict obedience to court orders until they are overturned.
To support his position, he cited a past court judgment where a Chief Judge was criticised for going ahead with an investigative panel despite a court order stopping such action.
The Chief Judge concluded that his hands are tied by law and that he cannot act under Section 188(5) of the Constitution for now.
As a result, the impeachment process started by the Rivers State House of Assembly has been put on hold, with the matter now firmly in the courts, pending the outcome of the appeal and the ongoing cases at the High Court.
KanyiDaily had reported how a High Court in Rivers halted the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Nma-Odu.
