Political commentator and analyst, Mahmud Jega, has alleged that lawmakers loyal to former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, once attempted to remove the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Samuel Amadi, in connection with plans to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Jega made the claim while speaking during an interview on Arise News, stating that available indications suggest the Rivers State House of Assembly could not secure the cooperation of the Chief Judge to constitute a panel that would automatically return a guilty verdict against Governor Fubara and his deputy.
According to Jega, successful impeachment proceedings against governors and their deputies typically require a certain degree of political alignment from the Chief Judges of the states.
Reflecting on past political developments, Jega said that historically, impeachment exercises have depended heavily on judicial cooperation.
“When we examine impeachment cases dating back to the Second Republic, it becomes clear that such processes usually require a measure of partisanship from state Chief Judges to succeed.
“In 1981, during the attempted impeachment of the Kaduna State governor, the High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court all ruled that the judiciary could not halt the assembly from carrying out impeachment proceedings, as it is constitutionally empowered to do so.
“However, in the current Rivers situation, the courts have intervened to halt the process, which marks a significant departure from previous precedents,” he explained.
Jega recalled earlier discussions on the political crisis in Rivers State, noting that while lawmakers aligned with Wike reportedly hold a numerical majority capable of impeaching the governor, their major stumbling block remained the Chief Judge.
“The constitution mandates that the Chief Judge appoint the investigative panel. From past experiences, Chief Judges often work in cooperation to form panels that deliver guilty verdicts.
“If such a panel returns a verdict of not guilty, the impeachment process automatically ends,” he stated.
He further suggested that the pro-Wike lawmakers anticipated this challenge and, as a result, attempted to force the removal of Justice Amadi several months ago.
“They accused him of falsifying his age, among other allegations. To me, it was clear that this move stemmed from their inability to secure his cooperation to set up a panel that would guarantee a guilty verdict against the governor,” Jega added.
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