A Rivers State High Court has adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, seeking to stop the impeachment process initiated against them by the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Justice Florence Fiberesima of the Oyigbo Judicial Division ordered the adjournment sine die on Tuesday after it was confirmed that two separate appeals connected to the matter had been properly filed at the Court of Appeal.
The judge explained that it would be inappropriate for the trial court to continue hearing the case while the appellate court is seized of related issues, noting that proceeding could lead to conflicting decisions.
During the hearing, counsel to the Speaker of the House, Martin Chike-Amaewhule, and 27 other lawmakers, Mr S.I. Amen, SAN, informed the court that an appeal had been lodged against earlier rulings.
He subsequently made an oral application requesting a stay of proceedings pending the outcome of the appeal.
The request was not opposed by counsel to the claimants, Mr Paul Oritikoro, SAN. Similarly, Mr Lawrence Oko-Jaja, SAN, who represents the 28th to 30th defendants, Oko Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy, and Orubienimigha Timothy, also supported the application.
In her ruling, Justice Fiberesima stated that evidence before the court confirmed the existence of two pending appeals.
She stressed that the interest of justice would be best served by allowing the Court of Appeal to first determine the issues raised, and consequently adjourned the matter sine die.
Governor Fubara and his deputy had approached the court to challenge the impeachment steps taken by the Speaker, 26 other lawmakers, and the Clerk of the House, alleging that the actions violated constitutional provisions.
The latest decision follows an earlier interim order issued by a Rivers State High Court sitting in Oyigbo Local Government Area, Port Harcourt, which restrained the Speaker, Martin Chike-Amaewhule, and 32 others, including the Clerk of the House and the Chief Judge of Rivers State, from taking further action on the impeachment process.
That interim injunction specifically barred the Speaker and 27 lawmakers from transmitting any notice of allegations, articles of impeachment, or related documents to the Chief Judge for the purpose of constituting an investigative panel over alleged gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.
The court also restrained the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, from receiving, acting on, or considering any such documents for a period of seven days.
The legal battle marks another chapter in the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, as the impeachment bid and counter-litigation continue to strain relations between the executive and the legislature.
