By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The ongoing impeachment moves against Gov Sim Fubara has suffered a setback as the High Court that stopped the Chief Judge from doing anything on the motion and has adjourned sine die (indefinitely).
The adjournment was at the instance of the defendants, the Rivers State House of Assembly.
By this, litigations and court processes would have to run a natural process before the Rivers State House of Assembly dominated by pro-impeachment lawmakers could commence further action and before the Rivers State Chief Judge can act.
Justice Florence Fiberesima of the Oyigbo High Court of Rivers State sitting in Port Harcourt adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Gov Sim Fubara and his deputy, Prof, Ngozi Ordu, challenging the impeachment processes against them by the Speaker and 26 other members of Rivers State House of Assembly as well as the Clerk of the House.
When the matter resumed in court, the lead counsel to Martin Chike-Amaewhule and 27 other House of Assembly members, S.I Amen, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the court about the appeal which has been entered and orally applied the court to stop further hearing pending the determination of the appeal.
The oral applications were not opposed by the lead claimants counsel, Paul Orikoro, SAN, and Lawrence Oko-Jaja who is the counsel to 28 to 30 defendants in the court who are Oko-Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy, and Orubienimigha Timothy.
Ruling on the application, the presiding Judge, Justice Fiberesima, adjourned sine die following the proof of two separate appeals which have been entered, a decision which she said will enable the appeal court determine the suit before it.
It would be recalled that a Rivers State High Court of Oyibo Local Government Area sitting in Port Harcourt had issued an interim order of injunction against the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and 32 others including the Clerk of the House and Chief Judge of Rivers State.
The order restrained the Speaker and 27 other members of House of Assembly from forwarding articles of impeachment or other document or communication to the Chief Judge with the sole aim of setting up a panel to investigate alleged gross misconduct and the Governor and his deputy.
The order also restrained the Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from receiving, considering and or however acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or other document or communication from first to twenty-seventh defendants for the purposes of constituting a panel to investigate the purported allegations of misconduct against the governor and his deputy for seven days.
