OYIGBO, Nigeria — A Rivers State High Court on Tuesday adjourned indefinitely a lawsuit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, after the judge confirmed that multiple appeals connected to the dispute are now before the Court of Appeal.
The ruling effectively pauses further proceedings at the trial court and moves the next phase of the legal contest over Mr. Fubara’s attempted impeachment into the hands of appellate judges.
The presiding judge, Justice Florence Fiberesima, said the court could not continue to hear the matter while appeals were pending, warning that doing so could expose the judiciary to conflicting outcomes.
She said judicial caution was necessary given the political and constitutional implications of the case.
The adjournment followed applications by lawyers representing Martin Chike-Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and several lawmakers accused by the governor of pursuing an unconstitutional impeachment process.
The request for a stay of proceedings was not opposed by counsel to the governor, signalling acceptance by both sides that the dispute had moved beyond the jurisdiction of the trial court.
Fubara and his deputy had asked the court to block impeachment steps initiated by the legislature, arguing that the process violated constitutional safeguards governing executive removal and due process.
The case is one of several legal actions arising from the deepening political confrontation between the executive branch and the House of Assembly.
Tuesday’s decision also reinforced the effect of an earlier interim injunction issued by another High Court in Rivers State, which temporarily restrained lawmakers and key judicial officers from advancing impeachment measures, including the transmission of allegations to the Chief Judge for the constitution of an investigative panel.
With proceedings now halted at the High Court, the legal battle is expected to continue at appellate level, where questions of jurisdiction, legislative powers and constitutional procedure will be central to the outcome.
The adjournment adds to a broader political deadlock in Rivers State, where governance has become increasingly intertwined with litigation.
As the appeals process unfolds, the dispute is expected to remain unresolved, extending uncertainty over the relationship between the executive and the legislature in the oil-producing state.
