The Supreme Court has reinstated its decision barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to the Rivers State Government.
In a landmark ruling, the apex court also ordered the Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, along with other elected members, to resume legislative duties without hindrance.
The ruling comes amid a heated political standoff in the state, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the center of the controversy.
The Supreme Court faulted the Court of Appeal’s decision to vacate the initial order that froze Rivers State’s allocations.
The appeal court had previously ruled against the restriction, following Fubara’s refusal to re-present the state’s 2024 Appropriation Bill before the Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim emphasized that the Federal High Court in Abuja had the jurisdiction to hear the case filed by the 27 lawmakers.
He noted that the appellate court misinterpreted the matter by focusing solely on Rivers State’s consolidated revenue instead of the broader constitutional question.
“The crux of this matter is the governor’s refusal to obey a subsisting court order mandating him to present the Appropriation Bill before the duly constituted Assembly,” the court ruled.
The apex court upheld the position that the 27 lawmakers, who allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), remain valid members of the Rivers State Assembly until a final legal determination on their status.
Furthermore, the court rejected Governor Fubara’s argument that he invoked the doctrine of necessity by presenting the budget to the remaining five lawmakers, describing the move as illegal.
The Supreme Court accused Fubara of destabilizing the government out of fear of impeachment and imposed a N5 million fine against him.