The Supreme Court has issued an order preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other relevant agencies from disbursing funds to the Rivers State Government until the state complies with court directives.
In a one-hour, thirty-six-minute judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s appeal challenging the legitimacy of the House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule as Speaker.
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The court ruled that Amaewhule and other elected lawmakers must resume sitting immediately, emphasizing that Governor Fubara’s attempt to present an appropriation bill before a four-member House of Assembly was unconstitutional. The judgment stated that this act deprived 28 constituencies of representation and violated a previous court order directing the governor to re-present the 2024 budget before a properly constituted Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court condemned Governor Fubara’s handling of the alleged defection of 28 lawmakers, describing it as dictatorial and an attempt to obstruct the legislature from carrying out its constitutional duties.
More details to follow…
