Supreme Court Sacks Rivers LG Chairmen, Restores Pro-Wike Lawmakers

The Supreme Court dealt a heavy blow to Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State on Friday, as it reinstated the judgement that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Accountant General of the Federation, from releasing statutory monthly allocations to the state.

The apex court, in another judgement, equally nullified the outcome of the Local Government Elections that held in the state on October 5, 2024. The court further ordered the Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the immediate past governor of the state and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to forthwith, resume sitting, unhindered.

Meanwhile, mixed reactions have trailed the judgments of the Supreme Court on the crisis in Rivers state.

Immediate governor of the state and current Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, in his reaction described the judgment as the end of the reign of impunity in Rivers state saying Governor Fubara’s government has collapsed and all his decisions and appointments invalidated.

Governor Fubara on his part said the state government would carefully evaluate the situation and determine the next steps to take in the best interest of Rivers State and its people.

Similarly, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has described the reinstatement of the 27 defected lawmakers as a clear declaration of war on the state.

The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, faulted the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal for vacating the initial order that stopped the release of funds to Rivers State from the consolidated revenue, following Governor Fubara’s refusal to re-present the 2024 Appropriation Bill of the state before the Hon. Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

It held that contrary to the verdict of the appellate court, the Federal High Court in Abuja had the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the suit the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers filed to challenge the continued withdrawal and expenditure of funds belonging to the state, without the approval of the State Assembly.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the lead judgement on Friday, held that the appellate court misapprehended the core issue in dispute when it pegged it on the consolidated revenue of Rivers State alone. He held that it was such wrong view that influenced the appellate court to deliver judgement in Fubara’s favour, stressing that what was at the center of the case was the refusal of the Rivers state governor to obey a subsisting court order that mandated him to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill of the state before a validly constituted House of Assembly.

Slamming Fubara’s decision to present the Appropriation Bill before only four members of the Assembly that are his loyalists, the Supreme Court held that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers remained valid members of the Rivers Assembly in the absence of evidence that they allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Reacting to the judgments of the Supreme Court, Governor Siminalayi Fubara in a statement issued by his Commissioner for Information, Joe Johnson, said, “at this time, we are awaiting a detailed briefing on the implications of the judgment. We will carefully evaluate the situation and determine the next steps to take in the best interest of Rivers State and its people. Though we have not got the details of the judgment from our legal team, we enjoin Rivers people to remain calm, law abiding and go about our legitimate businesses as we seek clarity on the judgment. Since the issue of defection wasn’t on the table before the learned Justices, in their eyes, Amaewhule and the 26 others are still operating as lawmakers until that matter of defection comes before them. We assure you that we remain committed to upholding our mandate to protect the best interest and the rule of law in all matters affecting our dear State”.

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