Rivers impeachment crisis moves to court as judge halts assembly action
The Rivers State political crisis took a decisive legal turn after a High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interim order restraining moves connected to the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.
The order was granted by Justice Florence Fiberesima after hearing two separate motions ex parte filed by Governor Fubara and his deputy. The suits, marked OYHC/7/CS/2026 and OYHC/6/CS/2026, also granted the claimants permission to serve the interim order and other originating court processes on the first to the thirty-first defendants by pasting them at the gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters.
The court further directed that the Chief Judge of Rivers State, listed as the thirty-second defendant, be served through any staff member of the judiciary at his chambers within the court premises.
Justice Fiberesima adjourned the matter to January 23, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice, as the impeachment dispute moved from the political arena into the courtroom.
The legal intervention followed a resolution passed on Friday by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which called on the Chief Judge to constitute a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy. The resolution was adopted through a unanimous vote, with lawmakers insisting that the impeachment process would continue.
Earlier, members of the Assembly had addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt, where they accused Governor Fubara of engaging in alleged acts of blackmail. Speaking on behalf of the House, Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol said the governor no longer commanded the trust required to resolve the political crisis in the oil-rich state.
According to the lawmakers, Fubara had breached provisions of the 1999 Constitution, leaving the Assembly with no option but to invoke its constitutional powers to remove him from office. They further alleged that both the governor and his deputy had resorted to intimidating members of the legislature.
Despite the accusations, the lawmakers expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for intervening in the crisis and urged the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, to reconvene the House.
The impeachment move against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, was initiated several weeks ago on allegations of gross negligence, a development that has continued to heighten political tension across Rivers State.
Caption: President Bola Tinubu (centre), flanked by Governor Siminalayi Fubara (left) and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, pose with Rivers State Assembly lawmakers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on June 26, 2025.