The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has refused to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing existing court orders.
The Rivers State House of Assembly had requested that Justice Amadi establish a seven-member panel to probe Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct.
However, in a letter dated January 20, 2026, addressed to the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, the chief judge stated that two court orders bar him from receiving, forwarding, or considering any requests to form such a panel. He noted that the orders were served on his office on January 16, 2026, and remain in effect.
Justice Amadi emphasised that constitutionalism and the rule of law require all authorities to comply with subsisting court orders, regardless of personal opinions on their validity.
Citing legal precedent, he referenced a 2007 case in which the Chief Judge of Kwara State faced condemnation for ignoring a restraining court order when forming an investigative panel, a decision later nullified by the Court of Appeal.
The chief judge also noted that the Speaker has filed an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, adding another layer of legal proceedings to the ongoing allegations against Governor Fubara and his deputy.
Elijah Adeyemi
