The legal proceedings surrounding the bid to impeach the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, have reached a pivotal standstill. On Friday, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo local government area adjourned the matter indefinitely, effectively transferring the resolution of the constitutional crisis to the Court of Appeal.
Justice Florence Fiberesima, presiding over the suit filed by the Governor and his deputy, delivered the ruling following an application by the defendants’ counsel, S.I. Amen. The defence argued that a pending appeal on the same subject matter necessitated a suspension of proceedings at the lower court to avoid judicial conflict.
Significantly, Justice Fiberesima also suspended the ex parte order she had granted on the 16th of January 2026. That interim injunction had previously restrained the Chief Judge of Rivers State from receiving or acting upon any impeachment notice emanating from the House of Assembly.
“By the doctrine of lis pendens, the outcome of the appeal will assist this court in determining the substantive suit before it,” Justice Fiberesima noted, underscoring the necessity of awaiting the superior court’s direction.
The political turmoil was ignited on the 8th of January 2026, when the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, initiated impeachment proceedings. The motion, endorsed by 26 lawmakers, cited several allegations of “gross misconduct” against the executive, including:
- Budgetary Impropriety: Alleged failure to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the legislature.
- Unauthorised Expenditure: The spending of public funds without requisite parliamentary approval.
- Financial Obstruction: Withholding statutory allocations meant for the operation of the State House of Assembly.
In a separate yet related development, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has formally declined the Assembly’s request to constitute a seven-member investigative panel. In a letter addressed to the Speaker dated the 20th of January 2026, Justice Amadi cited the legal principle of lis pendens, the rule that no action should be taken on a matter that is currently the subject of litigation.
Justice Amadi clarified that his “hands are fettered” by the subsisting court orders and the pending appeal.
“I am legally disabled at this point from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution,” the Chief Judge stated, confirming that his office had been served with the interim injunctions issued by the Oyigbo High Court.
With the High Court stepping aside and the Chief Judge invoking judicial restraint, the impeachment process is currently in a state of legal suspended animation. The focus now shifts entirely to the Court of Appeal, where the validity of the previous injunctions and the procedural integrity of the Assembly’s actions will be scrutinised.
For the moment, Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu remain in office, protected by the judicial refusal to advance the impeachment panel until the appellate court provides a definitive ruling.
