By: Nusrat Lasisi
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, amid the ongoing political standoff in the state.
Justice Amadi conveyed his decision in a letter dated January 20, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule. The request from the legislature followed its resolution on January 16 to begin impeachment proceedings and to appoint a seven-member panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
However, the Chief Judge explained that his hands are legally tied. His office received two interim court orders from a High Court in Oyigbo, sitting in Port Harcourt, on January 16. These orders restrain him from receiving, considering or acting on any impeachment-related request from the Assembly and remain in force. Justice Amadi said the orders were served on his office on the same day the Assembly’s request was sent, and that they are still valid. He noted that the Assembly has appealed the interim orders at the Court of Appeal, adding another legal dimension to the dispute. Under the principle of lis pendens, all parties, including authorities, are expected to respect the status quo while the appeal is pending.
In his letter, the Chief Judge stressed that constitutionalism and the rule of law must guide every action, and that court orders remain binding until they are set aside or the matter is finally determined. He said he is therefore legally unable to exercise his constitutional duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution to set up the panel at this time. The development marks a significant setback for the impeachment drive by the Rivers State House of Assembly and underscores how the crisis has shifted into the courts, with political and legal actors looking to the judiciary to determine the next steps.