0
0
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined to establish a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing an existing court order that restrains such action.
Last week, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly requested that the Chief Judge form a seven-member panel to probe Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct, including the misuse of unbudgeted state funds.
Justice Amadi communicated his decision in a formal letter to Speaker Martin Amaewhule, acknowledging receipt of two separate requests from the legislature dated January 16, 2026. The requests included extensive documentation, such as notices of alleged misconduct, procedures for impeachment investigations, and related media publications.
However, the Chief Judge revealed that his office had already been served with two interim injunctions issued by the Rivers State High Court in Oyigbo on January 16, 2026.
The suits—OYHC/6/CS/2026, filed by Deputy Governor Odu, and OYHC/7/CS/2026, filed by Governor Fubara—listed the Speaker and 32 others as defendants, with The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, named as the 32nd defendant.
The interim orders explicitly restrain the Chief Judge from receiving, forwarding, considering, or acting on any impeachment-related requests or communications from the House of Assembly for seven days. Certified copies of the court orders were attached to the Chief Judge’s correspondence.
This development has temporarily stalled the impeachment process for Governor Fubara, as legal proceedings continue to unfold.
