By Attah Ede
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice
Simeon Amadi, on Thursday, declined to constitute a judicial panel to probe the embattled State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Justice Amadi attributed his refusal to set up the probe panel to an existing court order.
It would be recalled that Rivers state house of assembly had earlier directed the judge to constitute a seven-member panel to investigate Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu over allegations of gross misconduct.
In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and addressed to Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the Rivers house of assembly, Amadi said his hands were “fettered” by court injunctions.
He added that his office had been served with two interim orders on January 16, arising from suits filed by Fubara and Odu challenging the decision of the State Assembly.
“The interim orders expressly restrained me from considering or acting on any request, resolution or document relating to impeachment proceedings against the governor or deputy governor.
“The Speaker, Amaewhule has already lodged an appeal against the interim orders at the court of appeal in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers. The notices of appeal were served on the speaker’s office on January 19 and 20.
“By the doctrine of ‘lis pendens’, parties and the court have to await the outcome of the appeal,” the letter reads.
“In view of the foregoing, my hand is fettered, as there are subsisting interim orders of injunction and appeal against the said orders. I am therefore legally disabled at this point from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in the instant.”, Amadi stated.
He therefore enjoined the Rivers state assembly to be “magnanimous enough to appreciate the legal position of the matter”.
It would be noted that on January 8, the Rivers State House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy.
The lawmakers commenced the process after Major Jack, leader of the assembly, read gross misconduct charges against Fubara, endorsed by 26 members of the house.
On January 16, the lawmakers voted in favour of a motion requesting the chief judge to probe the gross misconduct allegations against Fubara and his deputy.
The allegations include budgetary impropriety, failure to present the 2026 appropriation bill to the assembly, unauthorised expenditure of public funds, withholding of statutory allocations to the legislature, and other acts deemed to constitute gross misconduct.
Subsequently, a high court in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Florence Fiberesima, issued an interim order restraining the chief judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment notice against Fubara and Odu.
She barred the chief judge from “receiving, forwarding, considering, or acting on any request, resolution, or articles of impeachment” submitted by members of the Rivers state house of assembly.
It is on the strength of this order that the Chief Judge of Rivers State Justice Amadi refused to constitute a probe panel against the duo.
All forces of true democracy must rally round and stop Wike from this infamous rampage he is running around with his supporters. Never has anyone seen an irrational human being like Wike who has open displayed this kind of arrogance by attempting to seize the governance structure in Rivers State and run it like his personal estate. this is total madness and he has to be stopped before he commits more harakiri.