The political temperature in Rivers State rose yesterday as allies of former governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, welcomed a High Court decision declining to restrain the Chief Judge from acting on impeachment requests against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Ordu.
A State High Court sitting in Oyigbo refused an application seeking a perpetual injunction to bar the Chief Judge, Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi, from taking steps on notices issued by the House of Assembly. The court held that it could not assume jurisdiction, noting that the issues at stake are already before the Court of Appeal.
The ruling, disclosed in a statement by Mr Lere Olayinka, media aide to Mr Wike, provides temporary relief to lawmakers loyal to the former governor, who see the decision as a procedural victory in the protracted impeachment tussle.
According to the statement, the presiding judge adjourned the matter indefinitely, stressing that the High Court would take no further action until the appellate court delivers its judgment. The implication, analysts say, is that the legal pathway remains open for constitutional processes to run their course, subject to the outcome at the Court of Appeal.
Justice Amadi had earlier declined to constitute a seven-member investigative panel on the impeachment allegations, citing existing court orders. The House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had served Governor Fubara with a formal impeachment notice and confirmed that the Chief Judge was duly notified.
With the High Court stepping aside, attention has now shifted to the Court of Appeal, whose decision is expected to define the next phase of the Rivers political crisis and recalibrate the balance of power in the state.
