The Supreme Court has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation to immediately cease further disbursement of financial allocations to the Rivers State Government.
In a ruling delivered on Friday by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, the apex court stated that the order would remain in force until Governor Siminalayi Fubara halts all alleged unconstitutional and illegal activities. The court emphasized that no funds should be released until a lawful Appropriation Law is enacted under the Martin Amaewhule-led Speakership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Additionally, the court directed the 27 lawmakers who had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to immediately resume their legislative functions.
The five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, nullified all actions taken by Governor Fubara, describing them as unlawful. The ruling further condemned the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, labeling it a criminal act aimed at preventing the lawmakers from convening.
Key Orders Issued by the Supreme Court:
- The Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, who were allegedly redeployed unlawfully, must be reinstated.
- The governor was criticized for operating with only four lawmakers out of the 32-member House of Assembly.
- The immunity clause in Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution should not be exploited to engage in unconstitutional actions.
The Supreme Court upheld previous judgments from the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court in Abuja, both of which ruled that the actions against the 27 lawmakers were illegal.
Furthermore, the court imposed a ₦10 million fine on Governor Fubara, to be paid to the House of Assembly and the 27 lawmakers who initiated the suit.
The Federal High Court had previously ruled that Fubara’s receipt and disbursement of funds since January 2023 amounted to a constitutional violation. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who delivered the ruling, had restrained the CBN, Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank from allowing the governor to access funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
