Simeon Amadi, chief judge of Rivers, has declined a request by the State House Of Assembly to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state and Ngozi Odu, his deputy.
The request sought the formation of a seven-member panel to examine allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Fubara and Odu by the legislature.
In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and addressed to Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the Rivers House Of Assembly, Amadi said his hands were “fettered” by interim court injunctions.
The chief judge said his office was served with two interim orders on January 16 arising from suits instituted by Fubara and Odu.
He explained that the orders expressly restrained him from considering or acting on any request, resolution, or document connected to impeachment proceedings against the governor or deputy governor.
Amadi noted that the assembly speaker had filed an appeal against the interim orders at the court of appeal in Port Harcourt.
He added that the notices of appeal were served on his office on January 19 and January 20.
“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.”
The chief judge urged the State House Of Assembly to be “magnanimous enough to appreciate the legal position of the matter”.
The impeachment process against Fubara and Odu was initiated on January 8, when the Rivers State Assembly commenced proceedings against both officials.
The move followed the reading of gross misconduct allegations against the governor by Major Jack, leader of the assembly, with the charges reportedly endorsed by 26 lawmakers.
On January 16, the assembly passed a motion formally requesting the chief judge to investigate the allegations against Fubara and Odu.
The allegations include budgetary impropriety, failure to present the 2026 appropriation bill to the assembly, unauthorised expenditure of public funds, and the alleged withholding of statutory allocations to the legislature.
Other accusations were also listed by lawmakers as constituting gross misconduct under the constitution.
Subsequently, a high court in Port Harcourt issued an interim order restraining the chief judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment notice against the governor or his deputy.
Florence Fiberesima, 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.
