The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon C. Amadi, has formally refused a request by the state House of Assembly to set up a panel to probe Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Nma-Odu.
In a letter to the Assembly Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, Justice Amadi cited existing court orders and a pending appeal as the reason for his decision.
The Assembly’s request was made under constitutional provisions for impeachment, following resolutions passed against the governor and deputy.
However, Justice Amadi stated that his office is bound by two interim injunctions from a Rivers State High Court, which explicitly restrain him from acting on any impeachment request from the Assembly for seven days. Both the governor and deputy are plaintiffs in the suits that secured these orders.
Furthermore, the Chief Judge noted that the Assembly itself has appealed the injunctions. He invoked the legal principle of lis pendens, meaning all parties must await the court’s final decision and maintain the status quo.
“My hand is fettered,” Justice Amadi wrote, adding that he is “legally disabled” from performing his constitutional duty on the matter at this time.
The move halts the Assembly’s impeachment process, pushing the political confrontation into the courts until the pending appeals and suits are resolved.
