The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State has escalated further, with the state’s House of Assembly issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the 2025 budget.
The directive was given on Monday by the Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, a key opposition figure to Governor Fubara, as the lawmakers reconvened for plenary.
This latest development follows a Supreme Court ruling delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, which reinstated an earlier judgment by a Federal High Court.
The ruling had previously restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) from disbursing funds from the federation account to the Rivers State Government.
The Supreme Court overturned a previous Court of Appeal decision that had nullified the Federal High Court’s ruling on jurisdictional grounds.
In a unanimous judgment, Justice Agim emphasised that the lower court erred in its conclusion that the Federal High Court lacked the authority to hear the case.
Justice Agim clarified that the appellant’s case was primarily aimed at enforcing an earlier judgment by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.
In January 2024, Omotosho had ordered Governor Fubara to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill before the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to enforce its own orders. Therefore, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja was right to issue the restraining order preventing the CBN and AGF from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government.
Following the reversal of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, Justice Agim restored the trial court’s ruling, directing the CBN and AGF to halt the disbursement of funds to Rivers State until the budget is duly passed by the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
This ruling and the Assembly’s ultimatum add to the tensions in Rivers State’s ongoing political turmoil.
