The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi has declined to constitute a seven-member panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
The Martins Amaewule-led House of Assembly had written to the Chief Judge requesting that he constitutes a seven-man investigative panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.
In a letter dated 20th January, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewule, Justice Amadi confirmed receiving two separate requests from the lawmakers relating to the governor and his deputy but explained that there are subsisting two court orders (interim injunction) served on his office on 16th January, 2026 that restrained him from acting on their requests.
The Chief Judge further explained that constitutionalism and the rule of law requires all authorities to obey subsisting court orders, irrespective of their perception of the validity of the orders. He also observed that the Speaker has already filled an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, adding another layer to the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the allegations.
He cited a Court of Appeal judgement in 2007 which strongly criticised a Chief Judge who ignored a subsisting court order during an impeachment process.
Justice Amadi therefore, declined to constitute the Investigative Panel based on those legal considerations,