The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered a halt to further monthly allocations from the Federal Government to Rivers State.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in her ruling, restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from allowing Rivers State access to funds in the consolidated revenue account.
This judgement came in response to a suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, filed by the Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Named as defendants in the case were the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Additional defendants included Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Accountant-General of Rivers State, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Hon. Justice S.C. Amadi, RSIEC Chairman Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retired), and the Rivers State Government.
The plaintiffs requested that the court withhold all federal monthly allocations intended for Rivers State. They argued that Governor Fubara had not complied with a court order requiring him to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led Assembly faction.
The plaintiffs referenced an earlier ruling by Justice James Omotosho, which recognized Hon. Amaewhule as the legitimate Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and invalidated the 2024 budget proposal presented by a four-member faction led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo. The Court of Appeal upheld this ruling in favor of the Amaewhule faction.
They further alleged that Governor Fubara continued to make unauthorized withdrawals from Rivers State’s consolidated revenue fund, in violation of section 120 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
