Developing Story: Judiciary Slows Impeachment as CJ Cites Court Orders

• Decision comes on eve of court hearing, eases tension, stalls Assembly momentum

By Ogbonna Nwuke

Rivers State edged away from a looming constitutional crisis on Wednesday after the Chief Judge, Justice Simon Amadi, declined a request by the State House of Assembly to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara over allegations of gross misconduct.

Justice Amadi, in a letter to the Assembly, said his decision was guided by subsisting court orders restraining him from taking any step that could advance the impeachment process, adding that he hoped lawmakers would appreciate that his hands were legally tied.

The refusal came barely 24 hours before a motion challenging the impeachment process is scheduled for hearing on January 23, 2026, a timing that has significantly altered the political and legal calculus surrounding the Rivers power struggle.

Across the state, news of the Chief Judge’s action triggered visible relief, calming fears of abrupt political upheaval and administrative paralysis that had gripped residents in recent days.