A Rivers State High Court has intervened in the deepening political crisis in the state, ordering a temporary suspension of impeachment steps initiated against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Nma-Odu.
Sitting in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state, the court issued an interim injunction restraining the Rivers State House of Assembly and key state officials from taking any further action connected to the impeachment process.
The order followed applications filed by the governor and his deputy, who approached the court seeking urgent relief.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Florence Fiberesima in Port Harcourt, the court barred the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, alongside 32 other respondents, from advancing the impeachment proceedings.
Those listed as defendants include the Clerk of the House and the Chief Judge of Rivers State.
A central aspect of the ruling restrained the Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, from receiving or acting on any correspondence, resolutions or requests from the Assembly relating to the constitution of an investigative panel on the alleged misconduct of the governor and his deputy.
The interim order is to remain in force for seven days, pending further hearing.
The court also granted permission for substituted service of court documents on most of the defendants by pasting them at the gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters.
In the case of the Chief Judge, the court directed that service be effected through staff members at his chambers within the court premises.
Justice Fiberesima subsequently adjourned the matter to January 23, 2026, when arguments on the substantive motion are expected to be heard, effectively shifting the dispute from the political arena to the courtroom.
The legal intervention comes against the backdrop of mounting tension between the executive and the legislature in the oil-rich state.
Earlier in the week, the House of Assembly had formally requested the Chief Judge to set up a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Fubara and his deputy, following a unanimous resolution by lawmakers.
Assembly members have accused the governor of gross negligence, constitutional violations and intimidation of the legislature.
At a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, said the governor had lost the confidence of the House to manage the crisis facing the state, arguing that impeachment was the only constitutional option left to the lawmakers.
Despite their hardline stance, the legislators expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for intervening in the political standoff, while also calling on Speaker Amaewhule to reconvene the House to continue legislative business.
The impeachment move, initiated weeks ago, has intensified political uncertainty in Rivers State, drawing national attention as the courts now weigh in on the legality and process of the actions taken by the legislature.
Meanwhile, the Assembly has escalated its confrontation with Fubara by formally urging the Chief Judge of the state to constitute a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
Lawmakers took the decision on Friday through a unanimous vote at plenary, vowing to press ahead with impeachment proceedings despite mounting political tension in the oil-rich state.
The move followed a prolonged crisis triggered by the breakdown of relations between Governor Fubara, the legislature and former governor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The rift has paralysed governance and split political alignments within the state.
Although Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2025—an action he said was meant to align with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda—the switch has failed to heal divisions.
Most lawmakers have remained loyal to Wike, leaving relations with the governor strained.
The crisis previously drew presidential intervention.
In March 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy and the House of Assembly for six months amid concerns over governance and security.
A sole administrator was appointed during the period, before elected officials were reinstated late last year.
