The Rivers State political crisis has escalated with calls for an independent judicial oversight in the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
A prominent legal advocacy group, the Nigerian Law Society (NLS), has formally urged key national authorities to appoint a Chief Judge from outside Rivers State to handle the investigation into eight allegations of gross misconduct leveled against the governor. This request stems from deep concerns over potential bias in the state’s judiciary, particularly involving the current Chief Judge.
The appeal follows a recent public statement by Dr. Enemi George, spokesman for the Rivers State House of Assembly and chairman of its Committee on Information and Public Petitions. In his remarks, George accused the Chief Judge of exhibiting partiality and bias in matters related to the impeachment process.
This allegation builds on earlier tensions: in March 2025, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly submitted a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking a probe into claims that the same Chief Judge had engaged in forgery and falsification of retirement age records.
Citing these developments as evidence of eroded confidence in the impartiality of the Rivers State Chief Judge, the NLS emphasized that proceeding under local judicial supervision risks undermining the credibility of the constitutional process outlined in Section 188 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended). The group argued that only a neutral Chief Judge seconded from another state could ensure fairness in examining the charges against Governor Fubara.
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In their letter addressed to high-level recipients—including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Governor of Rivers State, the state’s Attorney-General, the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Dr. Enemi George, the UN Secretary-General, the ECOWAS Parliament Secretary-General, and the Nigerian Bar Association President—the NLS leaders, Executive Director Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja and President Ambassador Dahiru Aliyu, stressed the urgency of swift action.
They warned that failure to secure impartial adjudication could precipitate another major constitutional breakdown in Rivers State, potentially triggering a fresh state of emergency early in 2026.
The intervention highlights the fragile state of governance in Rivers amid prolonged rivalries, as the House of Assembly pursues its third attempt at impeachment proceedings against the governor since 2023. Legal observers note that the call for an external judge aims to safeguard procedural integrity at a critical juncture.
