Impeachment: Another Court Restrains Rivers Assembly, Others, From Sacking Fubara

A Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued a warning to the state’s House of Assembly and others, stopping them from taking any further steps in respect of the planned impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Justice Phoebe Ayua issued the warning while ruling on Wednesday, November 1, on an ex-parte motion filed in a suit instituted against the state Assembly and eight others by two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state – Amadi Madubuochi and Goya Oluka.

Justice Ayua’s pronouncement is coming on the heels of a restraining order issued on Wednesday against Rivers State’s lawmakers by a High Court of the state, stopping them from proceeding with the planned impeachment.

Justice Ayua gave his ruling after listening to Eric Omare, lawyer to the applicants/plaintiffs, who argued that the move to impeach Fubara was unlawful because the legislators had not established any wrongdoing against the governor.

In a copy of the enrolled order seen in Abuja on Thursday, Justice Ayua said: “An order is made, directing that all parties on record respect the court and should not take any step concerning the subject matter in this matter, since the matter is already before this court (sub judice) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on the notion.”

Justice Ayua also ordered that the respondents be notified about the pending suit, marked: FHC/PH/CS/234/2023, and motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.

He then adjourned till November 9 for a hearing of the motion on notice.

Listed as respondents/defendants in the suit are the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the state’s Chief Judge; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State; Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Rivers State; the Governor of Rivers State; Deputy Governor of Rivers State and the Inspector General of the (IGP).