The Supreme Court has reinstated a ruling barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation from releasing monthly allocations to Rivers State.
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In a judgment delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court faulted the Abuja Court of Appeal for overturning the initial order that halted the disbursement of funds to the state. It held that the Federal High Court in Abuja had the authority to hear the case filed by lawmakers loyal to Martin Amaewhule.
The court ruled that Governor Siminalayi Fubara acted unlawfully by refusing to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly. It also upheld the legitimacy of 27 lawmakers who were said to have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), affirming them as valid members of the legislative body.
Furthermore, the justices dismissed Fubara’s argument that he acted under the doctrine of necessity by presenting the budget to the remaining five lawmakers. They held that such a move could not justify an illegality and ordered the governor to pay N5 million in costs.
