By Rosaline George, Tamuno Horsefall
Rivers State High Court has restrained the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Honourable Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi, from receiving any impeachment notice from the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Clerk, and the 29 State Assembly members against the State governor; Sir Sim Fubara and his deputy, Prof (Mrs.) Ngozi Nma Odu.
The restraining order was granted following an ex-parte application filed by the Deputy Governor as Claimant/Applicant.
Issuing the restraining order against the Speaker of the State Assembly and thirty-one others, the judge, F. A. Fiberesima also granted leave to the Claimant/Applicant to serve the lawmakers-defendants by pasting the processes at the gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly, while the 32nd defendant-State’s Chief Judge could be served through any staff of the Rivers State judiciary.
The case has been adjourned to January 23, 2026 for motion.
Recall that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had unanimously declared that the only solution to end the political crisis in the state was to impeach the governor, Sir Sim Fubara and his deputy.
Describing the two estranged leaders as “incorrigible”, the state legislators during their Press briefing on Friday morning, alleged that previous attempts to solve the crises failed because the governor and his deputy did not want to obey or abide by any agreement.
The lawmakers also deduced that they would have considered the calls from stakeholders and political leaders within and outside the state who have called them on the matter, but that the governor and deputy were busy using different fora to castigate and witch-hunt them.
Parts of the texts of Press briefing read: “While members were positively considering calls from stakeholders, the governor and the deputy governor were busy paying media platforms to attack us in the media, misinforming the masses as well as making plans to use state institutions like the EFCC to intimidate us”.
The lawmakers specifically accused the governor and his deputy of not responding to any of the allegations or particulars of gross misconduct levelled against them, while also refusing to respect the legislature or work with them.
“They have refused to respond to any of the allegations or particulars of gross misconduct, but have so much time to go to the church and use innuendoes of barking dogs to spite us, and are still insisting that they will not respect the legislature or work with the members of the state house of assembly, 10th House of Assembly, precisely.
Many stakeholders who are calling on us are not willing to call on the governor or the deputy to do right thing. The governor and the deputy are the aggressors and the perpetual offenders of our constitution and serious threats to our democracy.
The sure part to peace and sustainable development of our state is the rue of law, separation of powers and respect for the constitution and not to blackmail or intimidate anybody or group.
“Previous attempts to solve the quackmire failed because the governor does not want to obey or abide by any agreement.
It is obvious that the only solution now is to apply the prescribed rule supplied by the constitution, 1999 as altered, which is impeachment of the incorrigible governor and the deputy governor”.
The Rivers lawmakers appealed to stakeholders and political leaders within and outside the state to see the impeachment process as the only solution to the lingering crisis in the oil-rich Niger Delta State.
