Pro-Wike Lawmakers Jubilating Out Of Ignorance, Says Ikenga On S/Court Verdict

… As Apex Court Reserves Judgment In 4 Appeals

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has dismissed claims that the Supreme Court ruled against Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s appeal challenging the judgment that voided the presentation and passage of the 2024 budget of the state.

The CUPP noted that the apex court merely struck out an appeal that had become irrelevant.

A five-member panel of the court had awarded N4m as a cost against the governor to the state assembly and Martin Amaewhule, the factional speaker of the assembly.

However, the CUPP spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, clarified that the Supreme Court did rule in favour of 27 Rivers assembly lawmakers loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as some have falsely claimed.

He recalled that the case was the governor’s appeal concerning the 2024 budget, which he voluntarily withdrew through his lead counsel, Yusuf Ali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

He explained that Governor Fubara withdrew the appeal because the 2024 budget had already been fully executed and was no longer relevant, given that the 2025 appropriation is now in effect.

The Supreme Court, in response, struck out the appeal in alignment with the governor’s position that the matter had been overtaken by events.

Quoting Ikenga, “Today the Supreme Court ruled on the appeal over the 2024 budget voluntarily withdrawn by Gov. Fubara because the 2024 budget cycle has ended and there is no need to waste time discussing a budget that has been fully spent and implemented.

“The sacked, disgruntled Martin Amaewhule and the Pro-Wike group are jubilating out of ignorance of what informed the decision of the apex court. For their information and others who care, the Supreme Court judgement was a sequel to the withdrawal of the appeal by Governor Fubara through his lead counsel, Yusuf Ali SAN. Governor Fubara, in the notice for withdrawal of the case, informed a 3-man panel of justices of the court that events had overtaken his suit.

“For those who don’t know, such events as mentioned by His Excellency, Governor Fubara, include, inter alia, that the 2024 budget for instance, has been fully executed and exhausted with the 2025 appropriation in effect; hence, the case is statute-barred. Also, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Oko Jumbo, is still in charge and control of the legislature in the South-South state as the pro-Wike sacked lawmakers and their gang leader, Amaewhule, remained removed from office.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday reserved judgment in four separate appeals on the raging political leadership tussles in Rivers.

Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, who led the five-member panel of justices, reserved judgements to a date that would be communicated to parties after taking arguments from lawyers involved in the matters.

The four appeals are for the Rivers House of Assembly and others against the Rivers Government and nine others.

The second case is between the Rivers House of Assembly and others against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and nine others.

The third case is between the Rivers House of Assembly and others against the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, and nine others.

The fourth matter is between the Rivers State House of Assembly and others against the Accountant General of Rivers and nine others.

The cases are in respect of some judgments delivered by the federal high court in Abuja, which prohibited the release of monthly funds to Rives from the Federation Account and another that barred INEC from releasing voter registration to the state government to conduct local government elections, among others.

Recall that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the stoppage of the release of allocations from the federal government to Rivers until the governor presented the budget before the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly members.

However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the judgment on grounds of grave injustice in the findings and decisions.

Similarly, the Court of Appeal, in another judgment, overturned the judgement of Justice Peter Lifu, also of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which had ruled against the conduct of the October 5, 2024, local government council election in Rivers because due process of Rivers State laws on local government elections had not been followed.

At Monday’s sitting, Joseph Daudu represented the camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, while Chris Uche SAN led the camp of Fubara.