A prominent Ijaw leader in Rivers State, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has expressed reservations about the Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers State political crisis, stating that the judgment appears biased and influenced by vested interests.
Naijaonpoint reports that Sara-Igbe’s reaction comes after Governor Siminalayi Fubara assured Rivers residents that his administration would implement the Supreme Court’s verdict once it obtains a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.
The governor’s statement followed the apex court’s decision on Friday, invalidating the local government elections conducted in Rivers State on October 5, 2024.
Additionally, the Supreme Court ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation to halt the disbursement of federal allocations to local governments in the state.
In a statewide broadcast, Governor Fubara confirmed that he had met with his legal team, who expect to obtain the CTC by Friday, March 7, 2025, before taking any further steps.
Sara-Igbe: Supreme Court Judgment Politically Motivated
Reacting to the verdict in an interview with Vanguard, Sara-Igbe criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, suggesting that it had politically weakened Governor Fubara while favoring a particular interest group.
“The judiciary has compromised in this matter. That judgment has disarmed and arm-twisted the governor. The same Supreme Court ordered states to conduct local government elections, so why then invalidate that of Rivers?” Sara-Igbe questioned.
He further suggested that the ruling may have been influenced by external forces. “I do not know whether the court dispensed justice or merely took sides because of one superman whom they want to satisfy,” he added.