The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined a request by the State House of Assembly to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing binding interim court orders that restrain such action.
Justice Amadi’s position was formally communicated to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Martin Amaewhule, in a letter acknowledging receipt of two separate requests from the legislature dated January 16, 2026.
The Assembly had, last week, asked the Chief Judge to set up a seven-member panel to probe Governor Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct. The allegations reportedly include claims of spending funds not appropriated by the legislature.
In his response, Justice Amadi confirmed that the requests were accompanied by detailed documentation, including the notice of allegations of gross misconduct, the Rivers State Impeachment Panel (Conduct of Investigations) Procedure, 2025, as well as relevant newspaper reports.
However, the Chief Judge explained that his hands were tied by existing judicial directives. He disclosed that his office had been served with two interim injunctions issued by the Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo on the same January 16, 2026.
The suits—marked OYHC/6/CS/2026, instituted by the Deputy Governor, and OYHC/7/CS/2026, filed by Governor Fubara—listed the Speaker and 32 others as defendants, with the Chief Judge named as the 32nd defendant.
According to Justice Amadi, the interim orders expressly restrain him from “receiving, forwarding, considering or howsoever acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or other communication” from the House of Assembly relating to the impeachment process for a period of seven days.
Certified true copies of the court orders were attached to the letter to the Speaker, reinforcing the Chief Judge’s position that compliance with the Assembly’s request would amount to a breach of a subsisting court order.
