A Rivers State High Court has stepped in to halt the ongoing political crisis in the state, issuing a significant order against the planned impeachment of the state's top officials.
Court Issues Interim Injunction
The presiding judge, Justice F. A. Fiberesima, granted an interim order of injunction on January 16, 2026. This order directly targets the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 25 other defendants, including the Clerk of the House. Crucially, it also restrains the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, from taking any action on the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Odu.
Specifics of the Restraining Order
The court's ruling, delivered at the High Court in Oyibo Local Government Area sitting in Port Harcourt, carries explicit instructions. Justice Fiberesima barred the Chief Judge from receiving, forwarding, considering, or acting on any request, resolution, or articles of impeachment from the Assembly. This prohibition is specifically for the purpose of constituting an investigative panel against the governor and his deputy.
The interim injunction is valid for a period of seven days. The judge made this ruling based on a motion ex parte filed in two separate suits by Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu.
Service of Processes and Next Steps
In a related procedural decision, the court granted leave for the claimants to serve the interim order and originating court documents. For the first to the thirty-first defendants, service is to be effected at the gate of the Rivers State Assembly quarters. For the thirty-second defendant, Chief Judge Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, the documents are to be served through any staff at the Chief Judge’s Chambers within the High Court premises.
Justice Fiberesima subsequently adjourned the case to January 23, 2026, for further hearing of the motion. This sets the stage for the next legal chapter in this high-stakes political confrontation.
