Supreme Court Halts Funding To Rivers State Government In Landmark Ruling.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation to immediately cease releasing financial allocations to the Rivers State Government. The ruling, delivered on Friday by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, mandates that the directive remain in effect until Governor Siminalayi Fubara halts what the court described as “illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional activities.”
The apex court’s five-member panel, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, issued a scathing rebuke of Governor Fubara’s actions, accusing him of undermining the rule of law. The justices ruled that no funds should be disbursed to the state until a lawful Appropriation Law is enacted under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule, the recognised Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
In a significant victory for democratic governance, the Supreme Court also ordered the immediate resumption of duties by the 27 members of the Rivers House of Assembly, effectively dismantling all actions taken by Fubara, which the court deemed unlawful. Justice Agim condemned the governor for orchestrating the demolition of the House of Assembly building, an act the court described as a “criminal” attempt to prevent the 27 legislators from fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities.
“This is an aberration,” Justice Agim declared, highlighting Fubara’s reliance on just four of the 32 Assembly members to govern, reportedly driven by unfounded fears of impeachment. The court further ruled that the governor had abused his immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to perpetrate “barbaric acts” against the rule of law.
The judgment also mandated the reinstatement of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, who had been unlawfully redeployed, along with other Assembly staff. The court imposed a fine of N10 million on Fubara, payable to the House of Assembly and the 27 members who brought the suit against him.
Friday’s ruling upholds earlier decisions by the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court in Abuja, both of which had declared Fubara’s actions against the 27 Assembly members illegal.
The Federal High Court, in a judgement delivered last year by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, had described the governor’s receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January 2024 as a “constitutional somersault” that could not be tolerated. Justice Abdulmalik had previously restrained the CBN, the Accountant General, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank from allowing Fubara access to funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account, following his presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member Assembly—an act she labelled a “gross violation” of the Constitution he swore to uphold.
The Rivers State Government has yet to respond to the ruling, but political observers anticipate significant repercussions as the state navigates the fallout from this historic judgement.
