The political crisis rocking Rivers State took another dramatic turn on Friday as the Oyigbo High Court sitting in Port Harcourt adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, challenging the impeachment moves initiated against them by the State House of Assembly.
The court, presided over by Justice Florence Fiberesima, adjourned the matter sine die after confirming that two separate appeals had already been entered in relation to the case.
According to the judge, the adjournment was necessary to allow the Court of Appeal to first determine the pending appeals before the lower court could take any further steps on the substantive suit.
Governor Fubara and his deputy had approached the court to challenge what they described as unconstitutional and politically motivated impeachment proceedings being pursued by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, 26 other lawmakers loyal to him, and the Clerk of the House.
Justice Fiberesima, while ruling on the application before her, held that once an appeal is properly entered, the trial court must exercise restraint to avoid actions that could conflict with the jurisdiction of the appellate court.
She noted that proceeding with the case in the face of the pending appeals could amount to judicial impropriety.
The adjournment effectively puts the impeachment litigation on hold, further prolonging the tense standoff between the executive arm of government and the faction of the legislature loyal to the immediate past governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The same Oyigbo High Court had earlier issued an interim order of injunction restraining the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 32 others, including the Clerk of the House and the Chief Judge of Rivers State, from taking further steps in the impeachment process.
In that ruling, the court specifically barred the Speaker and the lawmakers from forwarding any articles of impeachment, resolutions, or other documents or communications to the Chief Judge of the state for the purpose of setting up a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Fubara and his deputy.
The interim order also restrained the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from receiving, considering, or acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment, or related communication from the first to the 27th defendants.
The court held that such actions must not be taken for a period of seven days, pending further hearing.
