The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Simeon Amadi, has declined to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing existing court injunctions.
The Rivers State House of Assembly had requested the formation of a seven-member panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
The request comes amid intensified impeachment efforts by the Assembly during the ongoing political crisis in the state.
In a letter dated January 20, 2026, addressed to Martins Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Chief Judge Amadi explained that his office had been served with two interim court orders on January 16 arising from suits filed by Fubara and Odu.
Chief Judge Ordered to Take any action Against Fubara
The orders expressly restrained him from acting on any request, resolution, or document relating to impeachment proceedings against the governor or deputy governor.
Amadi noted that the Speaker had already filed appeals against the interim orders at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, with notices served to his office on January 19 and 20.
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‘lis pendens’, parties and the court have to await the outcome of the appeal,” Amadi wrote. He further stated, “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.”
The Chief Judge urged the Assembly to respect the legal position of the matter.
Rivers Assembly Intensifies Efforts To Remove Governor Fubara
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly, under Speaker Amaewhule, has intensified its efforts to remove Governor Fubara and his deputy.
The crisis reflects a long-standing power struggle in the state between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Although Governor Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2025, the move has not eased tensions with the Assembly or with Wike.
Several Assembly members had also defected to the APC, yet relations between the governor and lawmakers aligned with Wike remain strained.
The political friction continues to dominate Rivers State politics, with the House of Assembly pursuing impeachment proceedings despite the governor’s assurances that his defection was aimed at promoting stability and aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Earlier reports indicated that 16 members of the Rivers Assembly had announced their defection from the PDP to the APC, with Speaker Amaewhule confirming that he would join his colleagues in the move.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
