The Federal High Court in Abuja delayed judgment on Friday in a petition seeking to block the delivery of federal monthly allocations to the Rivers State administration.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who stated that the date of her decision would be conveyed to parties, made her decision after all parties had argued for and against the originating summons filed by a divided Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule.
The plaintiffs based their case on the fact that the Rivers State Executive had neglected to comply with a Federal High Court order to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
In a ruling issued earlier this year, Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara for submitting the state appropriation to the four-member parliament chaired by Edison Ehie.
Last year, the state parliament became factionalized after 27 of its members, led by Amaewhule, purportedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which they were elected.
Based on their alleged defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, the state government claimed that Amaewhule and his co-defectors were no longer members of the state legislature and thus were not entitled to the 2024 appropriation, which was signed by the governor after being passed by the Ehie faction.
Annoyed by the ruling, as well as the refusal to comply with Justice Omotosho’s judgment, which was recently affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the Amaewhule-led faction, alleged to be loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, petitioned the High Court to halt further release of federal allocations to the state until the court’s decision was followed.
In defending the claim, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the first defendant, requested the court to reject it as frivolous, noting that Justice Omotosho’s decision is already being appealed to the Supreme Court.
Also Read:
Adamawa SEC approves N8.5bn for 2 bridges, solar electricity in 6 hospitals
FCT: I’ll not abandon any project — Wike
2025-2027 MTEF: No part of Ogun State left out of our projects distribution – Gov Abiodun
cc: Daily Post Ng
