The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi, has declined a request to constitute a seven-member judicial panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr Ngozi Ordu, citing binding court orders restraining him from taking such action.
In a letter dated 20 January 2026 and addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martins Amaewhule, Justice Amadi explained that his decision was based on two subsisting court orders served on his office on 16 January 2026. According to him, the orders expressly bar him from receiving, forwarding or acting upon any correspondence or request related to the constitution of an investigative panel on the matter.
The Chief Judge stressed that the orders remain valid and enforceable until set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction. He warned that acting in defiance of them would amount to a breach of constitutional principles and the rule of law.
Justice Amadi emphasised that constitutionalism requires strict obedience to court orders by all authorities and public officials, regardless of personal opinions about the correctness or merit of such orders.
“The duty to obey court orders is fundamental to the administration of justice and the maintenance of the rule of law,” the letter noted in substance, adding that no public officer is at liberty to disregard judicial directives on the basis of disagreement or perceived irregularity.
In reinforcing his position, the Chief Judge referenced relevant legal precedents, including a similar incident in 2007 involving the Chief Judge of Kwara State. In that case, he recalled, the Chief Judge was strongly criticised for ignoring a restraining court order and proceeding to set up an investigative panel. The action was subsequently nullified by the Court of Appeal, which held that the panel was improperly constituted in defiance of a valid court order.
Justice Amadi said the precedent clearly underscored the legal risks and institutional damage that could arise from disregarding subsisting judicial orders, noting that such actions undermine public confidence in the justice system.
He further observed that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly has already filed an appeal challenging the restraining orders at the Court of Appeal. According to him, this development adds another layer of legal complexity to an already contentious process and reinforces the need for restraint pending the outcome of the appellate proceedings.
Legal analysts say the Chief Judge’s refusal to constitute the panel is likely to intensify the political and legal standoff in Rivers State, where tensions between the executive and the legislature have continued to escalate in recent months. They note that the situation now places greater emphasis on the role of the appellate courts in determining the next steps in the dispute.
Until the Court of Appeal rules on the matter or the existing orders are vacated, Justice Amadi’s position effectively stalls any formal judicial inquiry into the allegations against the governor and his deputy, further prolonging uncertainty over the unfolding political crisis in the oil-rich state.
