Justice Florence Fiberesima of the Oyigbo High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, challenging the impeachment proceedings initiated against them.
The ruling came after counsel for the defendants, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Martin Amaewhule, 26 other lawmakers, and the Clerk of the House presented evidence of two separate appeals already lodged at the Court of Appeal.
Justice Fiberesima held that the High Court would defer further proceedings to allow the appellate court to determine the matters before it, adjourning the case sine die (indefinitely).
This decision follows an earlier interim injunction issued by the same court on January 16, 2026, which restrained the Speaker, the lawmakers, the Clerk, and the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from taking steps to advance the impeachment process.
Specifically, the order barred the defendants from forwarding any articles of impeachment, resolutions, or related documents to the Chief Judge for the purpose of constituting a seven-man investigative panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The interim order also prohibited the Chief Judge from receiving, considering, or acting on any such requests or communications from the Assembly for an initial period of seven days, pending the hearing of motions on notice.
The impeachment bid, led by the faction of the House aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike, represents the latest escalation in the protracted rift between Governor Fubara and the Assembly.
The lawmakers had accused the governor and his deputy of gross misconduct and sought the Chief Judge's approval to form a panel under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
However, the Chief Judge has since declined to constitute the panel, citing the subsisting court injunctions in a letter dated January 20, 2026, addressed to Speaker Amaewhule.
This has effectively stalled the legislative process, shifting the battle fully to the courts.
The adjournment marks a further setback for the impeachment drive, with supporters of the Assembly reportedly expressing jubilation over the court's refusal to grant additional restraints on the Chief Judge pending the appeals.
Meanwhile, the governor's side views the indefinite adjournment as preserving the status quo and preventing immediate escalation.
The matter now awaits resolution at the Court of Appeal, where the appeals against the interim orders are pending, leaving the political future of Governor Fubara and the stability of Rivers State government in legal limbo.
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