The legal battle over the attempted impeachment of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has effectively moved out of the trial court, with a High Court judge declining further involvement until appellate courts resolve key disputes at the heart of the crisis.
On Tuesday, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo adjourned sine die the suit filed by Governor Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, after confirming that multiple appeals arising from the case are now before the Court of Appeal. The decision halts proceedings at the lower court and places the next phase of the impeachment struggle squarely in the hands of appellate justices.
Presiding judge Justice Florence Fiberesima said continuing with the matter while appeals were pending could expose the judiciary to conflicting decisions, stressing that judicial caution was necessary in a case with far-reaching political and constitutional implications.
The adjournment follows formal applications by lawyers representing the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Chike-Amaewhule, and several lawmakers accused by the governor of orchestrating an unconstitutional impeachment process. Significantly, the request to stay proceedings was not opposed by counsel to the governor, suggesting broad acceptance that the dispute had outgrown the trial court.
Governor Fubara and his deputy had approached the court to block impeachment moves initiated by the legislature, arguing that the process violated constitutional safeguards designed to protect executive stability and due process. The suit is one of several legal actions arising from the deepening political rift between the executive and the House of Assembly.
The court’s decision also reinforces the impact of an earlier interim injunction issued by another High Court in Rivers State, which temporarily restrained lawmakers and key judicial officers from advancing impeachment steps, including the transmission of allegations to the Chief Judge for the constitution of an investigative panel.
Taken together, the rulings have slowed the impeachment momentum while shifting the conflict into a more complex legal terrain, where questions of jurisdiction, legislative authority and constitutional interpretation are now central.
Beyond the courtroom, the adjournment underscores the broader political stalemate in Rivers State, where governance has become increasingly entangled with litigation. With the matter now before appellate courts, both the executive and the legislature face a prolonged wait that could further test institutional stability in the oil-producing state.
As tensions persist, legal analysts say the outcome of the appeals is likely to define not only the fate of the impeachment bid, but also the balance of power between the executive and legislature in Rivers State for the foreseeable future.
Fubara impeachment battle shifts to appeal courts as trial judge steps aside
