A Rivers state high court has ordered a temporary injunction prohibiting Rivers state Chief Judge Simone Chibuzor-Amadi from acting upon any resolution or document that calls for the state’s governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to be impeached.
Jumbo Stephen, the presiding judge, denied the governor and the state attorney general’s motion ex parte, and he also barred the chief judge and state assembly clerk from interacting with Martin Amaewhule and twenty-six other legislators.
Amaewhule is speaker of the faction of the legislature loyal to Nyesom Wike, former governor of the state.
Apart from the 27 members loyal to Wike, the chief judge and clerk of the assembly, additional defendants include factional speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy, and Orubienimigha Anthony, as well as the Peoples Democratic Party.
In addition, the court directed the parties to preserve the status quo ante litem pending the hearing and decision on the application for an interlocutory injunction.
The judge decided that until the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction filed herein is heard and decided, the 31st and 32nd defendants would not be allowed to deal with or relate in any way to the 1st–27th defendants as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. They would also not be allowed to receive, forward, or act in any way on any resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other defendants.
“That the parties to this suit are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante litem in this suit as of 5th July 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.
“An order is hereby made for substituted service of the originating and other processes in this suit on the 1st-30th defendants by pasting the same at quarters, opposite former NDDC headquarters, off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”
The judge fixed July 15 for the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
