Rivers Chief Judge Declines to Set Up Panel to Probe Fubara, Citing Court Order
Simeon Amadi, the chief judge of Rivers State, has declined to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Siminalayi Fubara, the state governor, citing existing court orders.
The Rivers State House of Assembly had requested Amadi to set up a seven-member panel to probe Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct.
In a letter dated 20 January 2026 and addressed to Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Amadi said his hands were “fettered” by court injunctions.
Amadi said his office was served with two interim orders on 16 January, following suits filed by Fubara and Odu.
According to the chief judge, the interim orders expressly restrained him from considering or acting on any request, resolution or document connected to impeachment proceedings against the governor or deputy governor.
He noted that Amaewhule had already filed an appeal against the interim orders at the court of appeal in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, adding that notices of appeal were served on his office on 19 and 20 January.
“By the doctrine of ‘lis pendens’, parties and the court have to await the outcome of the appeal,” the letter reads.
“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.”
Amadi urged the Rivers State House of Assembly to be “magnanimous enough to appreciate the legal position of the matter”.
On 8 January, the Rivers State House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy.
The process was initiated after Major Jack, leader of the assembly, read out allegations of gross misconduct against the governor, endorsed by 26 lawmakers.
On 16 January, legislators adopted a motion asking the chief judge to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations against Fubara and Odu.
The accusations include budgetary impropriety, failure to present the 2026 appropriation bill to the assembly, unauthorised expenditure of public funds, withholding of statutory allocations to the legislature, and other actions described as gross misconduct.
Subsequently, a high court in Port Harcourt issued an interim order restraining the chief judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment notice against Fubara and Odu.
In the ruling, Florence Fiberesima, the presiding judge, barred the chief judge from “receiving, forwarding, considering, or acting on any request, resolution, or articles of impeachment” submitted by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
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