Gov. Fubara’s Planned Impeachment: Court Order Flagrantly Violates Constitution – Lawyer

Lawyer Godspower Egbule has contended that courts have no constitutional power to intervene in impeachment proceedings, labeling a recent court order on the issue a “flagrant violation” of the Constitution.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, Egbule said the Rivers House of Assembly had, to the best of his knowledge, complied with all legal requirements in the impeachment process, stressing that responsibility now rests with the Chief Judge.

He cited constitutional provisions and judicial precedents, noting that courts are barred from entertaining impeachment-related matters at certain stages of the process.

According to him, the Court of Appeal had already settled the issue in a case involving former Abia state deputy governor, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Egbule maintained that adherence to the Constitution remains paramount, warning that any court order purporting to halt or interfere with impeachment proceedings amounts to a direct violation of constitutional provisions.

He said: “The House of Assembly, to the best of my knowledge, have followed the provisions of the law in terms of these impeachment proceedings.

“Now, the bulk house stops with the Chief Judge. The question that we must now ask is, in the light of constitutional provisions that arms the jurisdiction of court to entertain matters of this nature.

“Even the Court of Appeal has said in Abaribe’s case against the state House of Assembly that no court has the jurisdiction to entertain a matter of this nature.

“Let me say what happened in Abaribe’s case in which he quickly rushed to court when he was served an impeachment notice and the court said we don’t have jurisdiction at this point. He went to the appeal court and the appeal court affirmed it.

“The truth is, if we choose to operate by the provisions of our Constitution, what that court order has done is that the court order is a flagrant disobedience of provisions of the Constitution.”