The court prevents Rivers Chief Judge from acknowledging Fubara’s notice of impeachment.
A Rivers state high court has ordered a temporary injunction prohibiting Rivers state Chief Judge Simone Chibuzor-Amadi
from acting upon any resolution or document that calls for the state’s governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to be impeached.
Jumbo Stephen, the presiding judge, denied the governor and the state attorney general’s motion ex parte, and he also barred the
Amaewhule is the speaker of the legislature’s group that supports the former state governor Nyesom Wike.
In addition to the 27 legislators who support Wike, the chief justice, and the assembly clerk, other defendants include the
Peoples Democratic Party, Sokari Goodboy, Orubienimigha Anthony, and factional speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo.
In addition, the court directed the parties to preserve the status quo ante litem pending the hearing and decision on the application for an interlocutory injunction.
The judge decided that until the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction filed herein is heard and decided, the 31st and 32nd defendants
would not be allowed to deal with or relate in any way to the 1st–27th defendants as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
They would also not be allowed to receive, forward, or act in any way on any resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other defendants.
“That the parties heretofore be ordered to preserve the status quo ante litem in this action as of July 5, 2024, while the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction already filed herein is heard and decided.”
“An order is hereby granted for substituted service of the originating and other processes in this suit on the defendants
numbered 1 through 30 by pasting the same at the quarters located off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, opposite the former NDDC headquarters.”
The motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction was scheduled for July 15 by the judge.
The legislators belonging to Amaewhule’s faction were forbidden by High Court Judge Charles Wali on May 30 from holding legislative sessions anywhere, even in the legislative chambers.
On July 4, however, the court of appeals reversed the high court’s decision.
The trial court lacked jurisdiction to consider the claim, according to a three-member appellate court
panel chaired by Jimi Olukayode-Bada. The decision concluded that proceedings of this nature can only be considered and decided by a federal high court.
The two factions met in parallel on Monday in Port Harcourt. Fubara has been given seven days to resubmit the state’s 2024 budget by the Wike-supporting faction of the legislature.
The legislative chambers hosted the plenary meeting of the pro-Wike legislators.
Fubara is also not permitted to use funds from the state’s consolidated revenue fund, according to the Amaewhule-led legislature.
