Rivers High Court Halts Fubara Impeachment Process
The High Court of Rivers State sitting in Oyibo Local Government Area has restrained the Chief Judge of the state from receiving or acting on impeachment notices reportedly issued by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 30 other lawmakers, including the Assembly Clerk.
Justice Jumbo Stephen granted the injunction following a suit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state Attorney-General, challenging the legality of the impeachment moves against the governor and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
The court ordered that the Chief Judge and the Clerk must not receive, transmit, act on, or in any way engage with any impeachment resolutions, articles, or communications from the lawmakers.
All parties were also directed to maintain the status quo pending the determination of a motion for interlocutory injunction.
The ruling comes amid a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, driven by intense rivalries within and outside the House of Assembly. The Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly has been pushing impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, citing alleged constitutional breaches and misconduct.
By the ruling, the Rivers High Court has effectively paused the impeachment process, underscoring the judiciary’s central role in managing the state’s political impasse.
However, lawmakers backing the impeachment insist their actions are constitutional and say court orders will not deter them.
The matter is expected to return to court for a full hearing on the interlocutory injunction, which will determine whether the restraining order will be sustained or vacated, a decision likely to shape the next phase of the political contest in Rivers State.
