Port Harcourt, Jan. 22, 2026 – Justice Simeon Amadi, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, has declined to constitute a judicial panel to probe Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, on impeachment charges.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, had in a letter dated January 1, 2026, requested the Chief Judge to constitute a panel to probe alleged gross misconduct levelled against the governor and his deputy, invoking Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution.
In his response, the judge said he was barred him from receiving, forwarding, or considering such requests to form such a panel.
He conveyed his position to the State House of Assembly in a letter dated Jan. 202, 2026 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule,
In the letter, the judge cited two court orders which were served on his office on January 16, 2026 as the reason for his decision, urging lawmakers and other parties to respect the rule of law
The chief judge said the constitution and the rule of law required all authorities to obey subsisting court orders, irrespective of their perception of the orders’ validity.
“My office is also in receipt of two separate court orders of interim injunction issued on 16th January, 2026 in two suits… restraining the 32nd Defendant, i.e., the Hon. Chief Judge of Rivers State, from receiving, forwarding, considering or howsoever acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or other documents from the Assembly for the purpose of constituting a panel to investigate the purported allegations of misconduct.”
“Given the above scenario, our legal jurisprudence enjoins the parties to obey the order of interim injunction until it is set aside or the suit is finally determined.
“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 this instance,” he said.
The judge cited a similar case in Kwara State in 2007, where the Chief Judge was condemned for ignoring a restraining court order when setting up an investigative panel, a decision later voided by the Court of Appeal.
