The Supreme Court has ordered the River State House of Assembly’s Martins Amaewhule-led faction, and other elected members to resume legislative sitting immediately.
It held that the 27 Pro-Wike lawmakers, who allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), are still considered valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the outcome of the suit challenging their status.
Aside from that, the court ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation to halt the release of all funds, revenues, and allocations to the government until a valid budget is presented and approved by the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
The five-member panel, also faulted the Abuja Division Court of Appeal for overturning the Federal High Court’s Judgement which mandated Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to present his last year’s appropriation bill to the pro-Wike lawmakers.
The Federal High Court had halted the release of funds to Rivers State due to Fubara’s failure to re-present the 2024 Appropriation Bill before the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
During the ruling on Friday, Justice Emmanuel Agim held that the appellate court misapprehended the core issue in dispute when it pegged it on the consolidated revenue of Rivers State alone.
Agim further dismissed Fubara’s claim that given the defection of the lawmakers, he had to invoke the doctrine of necessity by presenting the Appropriation Bill to the only five remaining members of the Assembly.
“by encouraging four out of the 32 members of the Rivers state house of assembly to continue to operate, the governor was operating using only 12.5% of the state assembly, which is illegal”.
“It is an act of indiscipline bordering on excessive use of power, and a joke taken too far which has no place in a democracy.” he ruled.
