Fubara's Impeachment Process Locked

The indefinite adjournment of the suits filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy essentially locks the impeachment process in a legal "deep freeze," ensuring that the status quo remains unchanged for the foreseeable future.

By adjourning the matter sine die (that's without a fixed date), the High Court has effectively handed the baton to the Court of Appeal, meaning no further action can be taken on the substantive suit until the higher court determines the validity of the pending appeals.

This development does not mean the impeachment is cancelled, but it is indeed stalled indefinitely because the interim injunctions—which explicitly bar the Speaker, the Clerk, and the Chief Judge from proceeding—remain the governing legal reality.

While the lawmakers might view the "suspension" of the High Court's active hearing as a window, the Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, has already pre-emptively clarified his position by declining to constitute the seven-man investigative panel. He noted that his hands are "fettered" by the subsisting interim orders and the doctrine of lis pendens, which mandates that parties maintain the status quo while a matter is sub judice (that's under judicial consideration).

Consequently, the Chief Judge does not have the legal clearance to move forward; rather, the suspension of the High Court proceedings reinforces the existing restraint until the appellate court provides a definitive path forward.