As the 48 hours ultimatum given to Governor Siminalayi Fubara by the Wike backed lawmakers to represent the 2025 state budget to the House of Assembly expires, the governor has approved a one year vacation for the state’s chief judge.
Our correspondent reports that the state Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, has been given leave to proceed on a year vacation in order to create a lacuna in the event of any impeachment process against the governor.
The state chief judge is the only person permitted by law, to set up a judicial committee to appraise allegations that may constitute impeachable offences the lawmakers may come.up with.
The Trumpet could not confirm the development from the chief judge’s office or the state ministry of justice on Wednesday, as at press time, as officials approached declined to comment.
However, it would be recalled that the first impeachment plot hatched by the Wike backed lawmakers in 2023, was foiled through the instrumentality of the current Chief of Staff to the governor, Edison Ehie, who was then the leader of the assembly.
Ehie later went ahead to declare the seats of the 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT minister vacant, following his election as speaker when the 27 announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
This is not the first time a governor in the state, would be tampering with the instrument of the law to protect his office.
Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi between 2014, and 2015 shut down all the courts in the state, when he was having a political duel with the then first family..
Read also: Rivers crisis: Asari Dokubo urges Tinubu to protect Gov. Fubara
The Rivers State political crisis which began since Gov. Fubara reportedly refused to allow undue interference in the management of state funds by the FCT minister has been going through twist and turns.
The last episode in the unfolding drama was the Supreme Court ruling, which suspended the state federal allocation, and nullified the local government election conducted in the state last October.
Virtually all the Ijaw based groups in the Niger Delta, have been threatening fire and brimstone should President Bola Tinubu watch, and allow his FCT minister orchestrate the impeachment of Gov. Fubara, whom they see as occupying Ijaw slot in the power equation in the state .
Watchers of political developments in the state are following with keen interest, how the seeming war of attrition between Gov. Fubara and Wike will end.
