Fubara Impeachment: Rivers APC Warns CJ, Says Court Order Must Be Obeyed

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Amadi, to comply with an interim court order barring him from receiving or acting on any resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly concerning the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

The appeal was made by the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

The call followed Friday’s plenary session of the Rivers State House of Assembly, during which the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, directed the Chief Judge to set up a seven-member panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the governor and his deputy. The directive came after lawmakers resolved to push forward with impeachment proceedings, accusing the governor of disregarding the Assembly despite several appeals and interventions.

However, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyibo Local Government Area issued an interim injunction on Friday, restraining the Speaker and two other officials, including the Clerk of the House, from transmitting any impeachment-related correspondence to the Chief Judge.

In his ruling, Justice F. A. Fiberesima also barred Justice Amadi from receiving, processing or acting on any request, resolution or impeachment document from the Assembly for a period of seven days. The court adjourned the matter to January 23, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice.

Reacting, Nwauju—speaking with the support of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi—expressed concern that lawmakers, many of whom belong to the APC, were pressing ahead with what he described as a “legislative coup” that could undermine the party’s collective interest in Rivers State.

He said the party had carefully reviewed the events leading to the impeachment move and regretted that legislators who professed loyalty to the APC and the President were now pursuing actions that could harm the party’s growth and stability in the state.

Nwauju warned that the Assembly’s actions amounted to unnecessary legislative excesses and posed a serious risk to the APC’s future in Rivers State.

While acknowledging that the legislature is empowered under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to initiate impeachment proceedings, he argued that the definition of “gross misconduct” is open to interpretation and largely subjective in the court of public opinion.

He further called on the APC’s national leadership to step in urgently to prevent what he described as an imminent embarrassment for the party.

The statement concluded by urging the Chief Judge to obey the interim injunction in Suit No. OYHC/7/CS/2026 and appealed to the National Working Committee of the APC to activate internal disciplinary mechanisms under Article 21(b)(iii) of the party’s 2022 Constitution (as amended) to safeguard the party from further fallout.