The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara over the 2024 budget controversy while reserving judgment on four other cases tied to the state’s ongoing political crisis.
A five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji rejected Fubara’s appeal against an earlier ruling that ordered him to re-present the 2024 budget before the faction of the State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule.
The court’s decision followed Fubara’s legal team withdrawing the appeal, citing that it had been overtaken by events.
Following the appeal’s dismissal, the Supreme Court awarded N24 million in costs in favor of the lawmakers, with each respondent receiving N2 million. Lawyers for the Rivers State House of Assembly and the National Assembly had argued for the case to be dismissed rather than struck out.
Meanwhile, the apex court has reserved judgment on four other cases tied to the political standoff between Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike. These cases challenge rulings on state allocations and local government elections, with a final verdict expected at a later date.
Senior lawyer Femi Falana clarified that the Supreme Court’s ruling did not validate the Amaewhule-led faction as the legitimate House of Assembly.
He explained that the defection of 27 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress is still being debated in a separate case before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
Falana also noted that the appeal’s withdrawal was unrelated to the defection issue, emphasizing that the case focused solely on the now-expired 2024 budget.
