A Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo has temporarily halted the impeachment process initiated against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Nma-Odu, amid rising political tension in the state.
The court issued an interim injunction restraining the Rivers State House of Assembly from taking any further steps to advance the impeachment, including actions by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, the Clerk of the House, and other named defendants.
The order also specifically barred the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, from receiving or acting on any impeachment-related communication from the Assembly for the purpose of constituting an investigative panel. The injunction is to remain in force for seven days.
Justice Florence Fiberesima granted the order after hearing separate motions filed ex parte by Governor Fubara and his deputy. In the suits, marked OYHC/7/CS/2026 and OYHC/6/CS/2026, the court further authorised substituted service of the interim order on the first to the thirty-first defendants by pasting the documents at the gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters.
The Chief Judge, listed as the thirty-second defendant, is to be served through any judicial staff at his chambers within the court premises.
The matter has been adjourned to January 23, 2026, when the court is expected to hear the motion on notice, effectively shifting the impeachment dispute from the political arena to the courtroom.
The legal intervention followed a move by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which had earlier called on the Chief Judge to set up a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The lawmakers, who adopted the resolution through a unanimous vote, insisted they would proceed with the impeachment process.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol said the governor no longer enjoyed the confidence required to manage the ongoing crisis in the oil-rich state.
The lawmakers accused Governor Fubara of breaching provisions of the 1999 Constitution and alleged that both he and his deputy had attempted to intimidate the legislature. They maintained that impeachment remained their only constitutional option.
Despite the accusations, the Assembly members expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for intervening in the political standoff and urged Speaker Amaewhule to reconvene the House.
The impeachment process against Governor Fubara and his deputy was initiated several weeks ago, with the lawmakers accusing them of gross negligence—an action that has significantly heightened political tension across Rivers State.