The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other organizations have been told not to release funds to the Rivers State government until it breaks what the court characterizes as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
The five-member court’s unanimous decision overturned the cross-appeal filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara challenging the legitimacy of the House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye delivered the one-hour, thirty-six-minute judgment.
The court ordered Martin Amaewhule to resume sitting with other Rivers State House of Assembly elected members after dismissing Governor Fubara’s appeal.
Read more about Sacks Rivers Local Government Chairmen in the Supreme Court.
The court determined that Governor Fubara’s alleged purported presentation of an appropriation bill before a four-man House of Assembly, in violation of a court order, which required him (Fubara) to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill before a legitimately constituted Assembly led by Amaewhule, is an absurd behavior.
The apex court further ruled that Governor Fubara’s actions in response to the alleged defection of twenty-eight Rivers Assembly members were brigandage and dictatorship meant to obstruct the House from carrying out its legitimate duties under Amaewhule’s leadership.
The court also ruled that Governor Fubara’s demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex is an indiscipline that would obstruct the Assembly’s scheduled sessions under Amaewhule’s leadership.
LG Chairmen fired
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s 5 October 2024 local government election was declared invalid by the Supreme Court in another decision.
The court declared the election invalid because it flagrantly violated the Electoral Act in a judgment rendered by Justice Jamilu Tukur.
According to Justice Tukur, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s decision is void because it continued to register voters even after the election date was announced.
The court determined that Section 150 of the Electoral Act was clearly violated when processes that led to the organization of a local government election were cut short.
Divided House
The conflict between Nyesom Wike, a former governor and minister of the FCT, and his predecessor, Governor Fubara, led to the crisis in the House.
Following the fallout, the House became unstable, with 27 members, led by Amaehwule, remaining staunch supporters of Wike while four others, led by Edison Ehie, worked with Governor Fubara.
Ehie was later appointed by Fubara as his chief of staff, and Victor Oko-Jumbo assumed control of the governor’s house faction.
Parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a horde of pro-Wike commissioners’ resignations in Fubara’s cabinet also resulted from the feud.
Up until the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday, both parties have been in court for months regarding the crisis.
The Federal High Court’s decision in October 2024 was confirmed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the N800 billion budget that five Rivers State House of Assembly members had approved.
The governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara’s appeal was voided because it lacked merit.
The lower court accepted Governor Fubara’s decision to withhold his counteraffidavit in the case, and as a result, he is unable to file an appeal in a matter that he did not contest at the trial stage.
The court stated in the unanimous decision that the rule of law, rather than the rule of might, should be applied to Governor Fubara.