The Supreme Court orders Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop release of funds to Rivers State government forthwith until a proper House of Assembly is constituted.
The court also ordered Martin Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with all elected members.
The Supreme Court has ruled that its order will remain in effect until a properly constituted House of Assembly is established in Rivers State.
Apex court also barred the Accountant General of the Federation and other government agencies from disbursing funds to the Rivers State government until it complies with previous court rulings.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-member panel unanimously dismissed a cross-appeal filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which challenged the legitimacy of the House of Assembly led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
The court ordered Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately alongside other elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. It criticized Governor Fubara for presenting the 2024 appropriation bill before a four-member Assembly, stating that the move denied 28 constituencies proper representation and violated an earlier court directive requiring him to present the budget before a validly constituted Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership.
The court further condemned Fubara’s actions regarding the alleged defection of 28 lawmakers, describing them as acts of political intimidation and dictatorship aimed at preventing the legislature from functioning.
Additionally, the court ruled that the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex under Fubara’s directive was an abuse of executive power intended to obstruct legislative proceedings.
