By Suleiman Anyalewechi
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the State Capital has issued an ex-parte injunction restraining the Chief Judge of the State from taking steps in giving effect to the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The Court, also, restrained the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Matins Amaewfule, 32 other State Lawmakers, and the Clerk of the Assembly from taking any further actions on the impeachment moves against the Governor and his Deputy.
The Source reports that the restraining order came a few hours after the Lawmakers, pursuant to the impeachment option which they initiated last week, voted to officially write the Chief Judge to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations leveled against Governor Fubara and his Deputy.
The Legislators had, during Plenaryon Friday, also, reaffirmed their resolve to pursue the impeachment option to the end, insisting that no amount of political intervention will halt the process.
Justice F. A. Fibberesma issued the restraining order following an ex-parte application brought before the court by Governor Fubara and his Deputy against the impeachment moves by the House of Assembly.
The Court, particularly, restrained the Rivers State Chief Judge, Hon Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, from “receiving , forwarding, considering or acting, howsoever on any requests, resolution, notice, articles of impeachment, or any other document or communication emanating from the House of Assembly Speaker and members ( 1st to 27th Defendants ) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before court”.
The Court, also, granted the claimants leave to serve the interim order, the originating summons and other processes on the defendants by substituted means, particularly by pasting same at the gate of the Rivers state House of Assembly Quarters.
In the same vein, the Court directed that the Chief Judge be served all the processes through any staff of the Rivers State Judiciary at the Chief Judge’s Chambers within the High Court Complex.
Hearing of the motion on notice has been fixed for January 23, 2026.
The Source further reports that the State Lawmakers who have been embroiled in a bitter political feud with Governor Fubara since 2023, had, a couple of days ago, raised the alarm over alleged plans by the Executive arm of Government to procure a restraining order.
The Legislators however warned that such a move has the potential to further undermine rule of law and democratic norms in the State.
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