The Rivers State House of Assembly has dismissed an interim order of the Rivers State High Court restraining it from continuing the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Assembly described the court order as lacking constitutional backing, insisting that the judiciary has no authority to interfere in the impeachment of a sitting governor.
A High Court sitting in Oyibo Local Government Area, Port Harcourt, had earlier issued an interim injunction stopping the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from accepting or acting on any impeachment notice against the governor and his deputy.
The order followed two separate suits instituted by Governor Fubara and his deputy, marked Suit No. OYHC/7/CS/2026 and OYHC/6/CS/2026.
Recall that the Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had directed the Chief Judge to constitute a panel to investigate allegations of misconduct levelled against the governor and his deputy.
In the interim orders, the court restrained the Speaker, 32 lawmakers, the Clerk of the House, and the Chief Judge from taking any step towards the impeachment process for a period of seven days.
Specifically, Justice Amadi was barred from receiving, forwarding, considering or acting on any request, resolution or articles of impeachment from the lawmakers for the purpose of constituting an investigative panel.
However, reacting to the development, the spokesman of the House, Enemi George, told Daily Post that the Assembly was not aware of any such court order and maintained that the court lacked jurisdiction over impeachment matters.
“The House is not aware of any court order. However, if you read Section 188(10), the court has no power to intervene in the impeachment process,” George said.