Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Port Harcourt, Nigeria — Justice Florence Fiberesima of the Oyigbo High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has adjourned sine die (indefinitely) the suit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma‑Odu, challenging impeachment proceedings initiated against them by the Rivers State House of Assembly and other respondents, judicial sources confirmed on Friday.
The legal action, brought by Fubara and Nma‑Odu, sought to halt what they described as unlawful impeachment processes launched by the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, along with 26 lawmakers and the Clerk of the House. The impeachment move followed allegations of gross misconduct against both the governor and his deputy.
When proceedings resumed this week, counsel for Amaewhule and the assembly members informed the court that two separate appeals had already been filed in relation to the case at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division. The respondents applied orally for a stay of proceedings in the High Court pending the outcome of those appeals.
The claimants — represented by senior legal counsel — did not oppose the application, and in her ruling, Justice Fiberesima agreed that it was appropriate to defer further hearing at the High Court. The judge held that proceeding with the matter at the trial court level could interfere with the appellate process and that the issues should first be determined by the higher court. As a result, she adjourned the matter indefinitely without fixing a new date.
The Rivers State impeachment struggle has been marked by a series of legal and political manoeuvres. Earlier this month, the same High Court issued interim orders restraining the Speaker, lawmakers, the Clerk and the Chief Judge of the state from advancing the impeachment process, including acting on petitions and constituting investigative panels against the governor and deputy. That ruling temporarily froze legislative action while the court considered pleadings from both sides.
In a related development, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor‑Amadi, recently declined a request by the House of Assembly to set up a seven‑member investigative panel to probe allegations against Fubara and Nma‑Odu, citing the existence of subsisting court orders and the pendency of appeals. He explained that judicial constraints prevented him from acting on the assembly’s request amid ongoing legal challenges.
Political tensions in Rivers State have been high for months, with lawmakers and executive officials locked in a protracted struggle that has drawn national attention. The assembly’s impeachment resolutions, grounded in alleged gross misconduct, have been met with legal resistance from the governor’s camp, leading to a series of high‑stakes court battles.
By adjourning the suit indefinitely, the High Court has effectively placed the impeachment challenge on hold pending the resolution of the appeals before the Court of Appeal, underscoring the complex interplay between judicial review and legislative action in high‑profile political disputes.
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