Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the recent court ruling that prohibits the distribution of financial allocations to Rivers State.
According to reports, a Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing funds to the Rivers State government. The ruling, delivered by Judge Joyce Abdulmalik, stipulates that no funds from the federation account should be allocated to the state until a legitimate appropriation act is passed by a properly constituted House of Assembly.
The lawsuit was initiated by the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule. Judge Abdulmalik asserted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara made a mistake by submitting the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a five-member assembly that was deemed “not properly constituted.”
In a response released by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku expressed concerns that the judiciary’s actions could lead to instability in Rivers State. He described it as troubling that individuals aligned with the federal government appeared to be influencing the situation from behind the scenes.
Atiku challenged Abdulmalik’s decision to impose an injunction while the Rivers State government’s legal appeal was still pending in the court of appeal. “Just last week, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Rivers State budget was invalid as it was passed by an incomplete assembly,” he noted.
“The court instructed Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reintroduce the budget, and the Rivers State Government has already filed a notice of appeal to have the Supreme Court review the matter.”
He further criticized elements within the Bola Tinubu administration for allegedly orchestrating a judgment aimed at undermining the Supreme Court’s authority.
“Prior to the delivery of the judgment, legal expert Femi Falana (SAN) had warned Chief Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court about potential compromise following gifts presented to judges in Abuja. Unfortunately, this warning went unheeded,” the statement concluded.
