Impeachment Moves: Rivers High Court Adjourns Sine Die

The Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo has adjourned indefinitely the suit instituted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, challenging the impeachment moves initiated by the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The adjournment followed an earlier interim injunction granted by the court on an ex parte application filed by the governor and his deputy, in which January 23, 2026, had been fixed for the continued hearing of the substantive suit.

When the matter came up for hearing, the presiding judge, Justice Florence Fiberesima, adjourned proceedings sine die after confirming that two separate appeals had already been entered in respect of the case.

The judge explained that the adjournment was to enable the Court of Appeal to first determine the pending appeals before the trial court could take any further steps on the matter.

Governor Fubara and his deputy had approached the court to challenge what they described as unconstitutional and politically motivated impeachment proceedings being pursued by the Martin Amaewhule led House of Assembly.

In his ruling, the judge held that once an appeal is properly entered, a trial court is required to exercise restraint so as not to take actions that may encroach on the jurisdiction of the appellate court.

According to him, proceeding with the substantive suit in the face of pending appeals could amount to judicial impropriety and undermine the authority of the appellate process.

With this development, the adjournment has effectively put the impeachment moves on hold, and further prolong the tense political standoff between the executive arm of government and the faction of the legislature loyal to the immediate past governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

It would be recalled that the same Oyigbo High Court had earlier issued an interim order restraining Speaker Amaewhule and 32 others, including the Clerk of the House and the Chief Judge of Rivers State, from taking further steps in the impeachment process.

In that ruling, the court specifically barred the Speaker and the lawmakers from forwarding any articles of impeachment, resolutions or other documents to the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, for the purpose of constituting a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.

The interim order also restrained the Chief Judge from receiving, considering or acting on any request or communication relating to the impeachment for a period of seven days, pending further hearing of the matter.

Consequently, Justice Amadi wrote to Speaker Amaewhule, declaring his inability to proceed with the constitution of a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations, citing the appeals already pending before the Court of Appeal.

By: King Onunwor