The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Amadi, to respect an interim court injunction restraining him from receiving or acting on any resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly relating to the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
Naijaonpoint reports that the call was made by the party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Darlington Nwauju, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday and made available to journalists.
Recall that during plenary on Friday, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, directed the Chief Judge to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The directive followed a resolution by lawmakers to proceed with impeachment, accusing the governor of being adamant and treating the Assembly with levity despite appeals and interventions from various quarters.
However, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyibo Local Government Area on Friday issued an interim injunction restraining the Speaker and two others, including the Clerk of the House, from sending any correspondence to the Chief Judge on the impeachment.
The court, presided over by Justice F. A. Fiberesima, also restrained Justice Amadi from “receiving, forwarding, considering or in any way acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or any other document” from the lawmakers for seven days. The matter was adjourned to January 23, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Reacting to the development, Nwauju, who spoke with the backing of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, expressed concern that lawmakers, most of whom are APC members, had decided to press ahead with what he described as a “legislative coup d’état” against the collective interest of the party in Rivers State.
“We have painstakingly analysed the issues leading up to the latest step taken by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to proceed with the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
“Regrettably, we note that honourable members who trumpeted loyalty to our party and Mr President have now given themselves to a choreographed legislative coup d’état against the collective interest, growth and development of our party in the state,” the statement read.
The APC spokesman warned that the action of the lawmakers amounted to needless legislative overreach and could endanger the party’s future in the state.
“We warn again that this is a needless legislative overreach, having observed the recalcitrance on the part of members of the House of Assembly, including APC members,” he said.
While acknowledging that the legislature has constitutional powers under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to conduct impeachment, Nwauju argued that what constitutes “gross misconduct” remains subjective.
“Thus, no matter how beautifully crafted the allegations against the governor and his deputy may be, they remain largely subjective in the court of public opinion,” he added.
Nwauju further called on the party’s national leadership to urgently intervene to avert what he described as an impending embarrassment.
The statement added, “This unfortunate path chosen by the legislative arm therefore serves as a dangerous footnote to the health and survival of the APC in Rivers State.
“Meanwhile, we call on the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State to respect the interim injunction in Suit No: OYHC/7/CS/2026.
“Finally, we call on the national leadership of the party to immediately activate the internal mechanisms available to the National Working Committee under Article 21(b)(iii) of the 2022 APC Constitution (as amended) to save our dear party from an embarrassing situation.”