By:Abdullahi Inuwa
Port Harcourt—In a dramatic twist to the simmering political crisis in Rivers State, the Chief Judge, Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi, has declined to constitute a seven-member judicial panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.
Justice Amadi anchored his refusal on existing court orders which, he said, expressly restrain him from taking steps toward setting up the panel. The decision effectively freezes the impeachment-related process, at least for now, and throws the political chessboard in Rivers State into fresh uncertainty.
Sources close to the judiciary confirmed that the Chief Judge acted in strict compliance with the rule of law, insisting that any action taken in defiance of subsisting court directives would amount to judicial impropriety.
The move is seen as a significant setback for forces pushing for a formal probe, while allies of the governor interpret it as a vindication of due process. Legal analysts say the ball now shifts squarely to the courts, where the validity and scope of the restraining orders will likely be tested.
As tensions remain high in Port Harcourt, one thing is clear: the Rivers political drama is far from over, and the judiciary has drawn a firm line—law first, politics later.
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