BREAKING: Rivers State Chief Judge Denies Assembly’s Request for Fubara Probe

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has turned down a request from the State House of Assembly to form a judicial panel aimed at investigating allegations against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, pointing to active court orders that restrain him from such actions.

The Assembly had previously passed a resolution requiring the Chief Judge to assemble a seven-member panel to look into claims of serious misconduct as part of the ongoing impeachment process occurring against the governor and his deputy.

Nevertheless, in a correspondence dated January 20, 2026, directed to the Assembly's Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, Justice Amadi communicated that he was legally impeded from fulfilling this request due to pre-existing court injunctions.

He clarified that his office received two interim court orders on January 16, 2026, subsequent to lawsuits initiated by both Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu.

Justice Amadi stated that these orders specifically prevented him from contemplating or acting upon any motions, requests, or documents associated with impeachment procedures concerning either of the two officials.

Moreover, the Chief Judge indicated that the Speaker had already contested the injunctions at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt and added that notifications of appeal had been provided to his office on January 19 and 20.

“By virtue of the principle of ‘lis pendens’, both the parties and the court must await the resolution of the appeal,” Amadi remarked.

He further implied that the presence of the injunctions and the ongoing appeal had effectively constrained his actions.

“In light of the above, I am limited in my capacity, as there are current interim orders of injunction and an appeal regarding these orders. Consequently, I am legally unable at this moment to carry out my responsibilities as specified under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in this case,” he remarked.

The Chief Judge urged the lawmakers to understand the legal limitations surrounding the situation. He encouraged the Assembly to be “generous enough to acknowledge the legal context of this issue.”