… Each camps in subdued celebration
Loyalists of the two camps embroiled in the impeachment process against Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State governor, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy, have celebrated Friday’s ruling by Justice Florence A. Fiberesima of the state High Court.
The impeachment suffered setback on Friday January 23, 2026 as Justice Fiberesima adjourned sine die the suit filed by Fubara and Odu challenging the impeachment processes against them initiated by Martin Amaewhule, Speaker, and 25 other members of state House of Assembly.
Lere Olayinka, media aide to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and other media aide to Amaewhule, took to X and Facebook immediately after the ruling to describe it as a victory for the 26 state lawmakers, alleged to be loyal to the FCT minister.
Olayinka, on his X handle posted a message variously repeated by their camp. It read, “The Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo refuses to grant perpetual injunction restraining the Chief Judge of Rivers State from receiving correspondence from the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The Court acknowledged that the matter is already before a Higher Court, and adjourned indefinitely pending the outcome of the case in the Appeal Court,” the post held.
Meanwhile, supporters of Siminalayi Fubara have equally held Justice Fiberesima’s ruling as a victory for the Rivers State governor and Ngozi Odu, his deputy.
A source said that the ‘Fubara camp is happy that proceedings did not go ahead but continue at a higher level.”
A cross-section of Rivers people however have expressed mixed reactions to the ruling, with most of those we spoke with expressing relief that the impeachment process has been stalled for now.
When the matter resumed in court on Friday, the lead counsel to Martin Chike-Amaewhule and 27 other House of Assembly members, S.I Amen, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the court about the appeal which has been entered and orally applied the court to stop further hearing pending the determination of the appeal.
The oral applications were not opposed by the lead claimants counsel, Paul Orikoro, SAN, and Lawrence Oko-Jaja who is the counsel to 28 to 30 defendants in the court who are Oko-Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy, and Orubienimigha Timothy.
Ruling on the application, the presiding Judge, Justice Florence Fiberesima, adjourned till sine die following the proof of two separate appeals which have been entered, a decision which she said will enable the appeal court determine the suit before it.
It would be recalled that a Rivers State High Court of Oyibo Local Government Area sitting in Port Harcourt had issued an interim order of injunction against the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and 32 others including the Clerk of the House and Chief Judge of Rivers State.
The order restrained the Speaker and 27 other members of House of Assembly from forwarding articles of impeachment or other document or communication to Chief Judge with the sole aim of setting up a panel to investigate alleged gross misconduct.
The order also restrained the Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from receiving, considering and or however acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or other document or communication from first to twenty-seventh defendants for the purposes of constituting a panel to investigate the purported allegations of misconduct against the governor and his deputy for seven days.
