Just In: Court Bars FG From Allocating Funds To Rivers State Over Assembly Leadership Dispute

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order barring the Federal Government from releasing further monthly allocations to Rivers State, following a lawsuit filed by the Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

In a judgement delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the court specifically instructed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to prevent the state from accessing funds in the consolidated revenue account.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, was initiated by the Amaewhule faction, which challenged Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s compliance with previous court orders.

Cited as defendants in the case are the CBN, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Governor Fubara, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), and the Rivers State Chief Judge, among others.

The plaintiffs argued that Governor Fubara had failed to re-present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to their faction, as previously directed by a Federal High Court ruling, which recognized Hon. Amaewhule as the legitimate Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly.

A separate faction of the Assembly, led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, had initially received the budget proposal, which the court invalidated.

The court’s decision follows an earlier judgment by Justice James Omotosho that recognized the Amaewhule-led faction and invalidated the 2024 budget presented to the rival Assembly faction.

The plaintiffs also cited unauthorized withdrawals by Governor Fubara from the state’s consolidated revenue funds, alleging breaches of Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution.

With the judgment, the Federal Government is barred from releasing further funds to Rivers State until compliance with court directives is achieved, escalating the ongoing political and legal dispute within the state.