A Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo has adjourned indefinitely the suits filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, challenging the impeachment process initiated by the State Assembly against them.
Counsel to the defendants in the suit, S. I. Ameh, SAN, at the proceedings on Friday, January 23, informed the court about a pending appeal filed by the defendants on the same subject.
He prayed the court to suspend further hearing pending the determination of the appeal.
Paul Erokoro, lead counsel to the claimants, and Lawrence Oko-Jaja, counsel to the 28th, 29th, and 30th defendants, did not oppose the oral application.
Having heard from the parties, the Presiding Judge, Florence Fiberesima, adjourned indefinitely pending the outcome of the appeal.
She noted that the appeal’s outcome will help the court determine the substantive suit before it.
The judge also suspended the ex parte order she issued on January 16, which restrained the state’s chief judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment notice against Fubara and his deputy.
It could be recalled that on January 8, the Rivers State Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy. 26 members of the house endorsed the process after Major Jack, leader of the assembly, read allegations of gross misconduct against Fubara on January 16.
The allegations include budgetary impropriety, failure to present the 2026 appropriation bill to the assembly, unauthorised expenditure of public funds, withholding of statutory allocations to the legislature, and other acts deemed to constitute gross misconduct.
However, Governor Fubara approached the courts, securing an interim order restraining the chief judge of the state from receiving or acting on any impeachment notice against him and his deputy.
