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 Sim Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Ordu. In a letter dated 20 January 2026 to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, Justice Amadi said he was prevented from acting by two court orders.
The orders were served on his office on 16 January and remain in force. They bar him from receiving, forwarding, or considering any request to set up the investigative panel, the Chief Judge explained.
Justice Amadi said constitutionalism and the rule of law require all authorities to obey subsisting court orders, irrespective of their perception of the orders’ validity. He stressed that no official should disregard a court directive simply because they believe it is wrong.
He also referenced legal precedent, recalling a 2007 case in which the Chief Judge of Kwara State was criticised for ignoring a restraining court order when forming a panel. The Court of Appeal later voided that decision, he noted.
The Chief Judge added that the Speaker has already filed an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, adding another layer to the ongoing legal dispute. This means the matter is still active in the judiciary, and any action could be seen as contempt of court.
The refusal is likely to intensify the political standoff in Rivers State, where the Assembly has been seeking to probe the governor and his deputy over alleged misconduct. With the judiciary now at the centre of the dispute, the next move is expected to come from the Court of Appeal.
