Drama In Rivers! Court Rejects Bid To Stop 2025 Budget Approval

The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a motion seeking to prevent the National Assembly from approving the 2025 budget of Rivers State under the administration of the state’s sole administrator, Ibokette Ibas.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the application was no longer relevant, as the Senate had already approved the budget on June 25.

President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials for six months due to an escalating political crisis. In the wake of this, Tinubu appointed Ibas as the state’s sole administrator, while legislative powers were assumed by the National Assembly.

Subsequently, the Assembly approved the 2025 budget and confirmed other appointments submitted by Ibas.

In response, a group of Rivers citizens—led by the King Regent of Diobu, Oziwe Amba, and the Hope Africa Foundation—sought an interlocutory injunction to halt further legislative actions, including budget approvals and appointments.

The application, dated June 24, followed a broader legal challenge filed on June 19 aimed at nullifying the emergency declaration and Ibas’s appointment.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ambrose Owuru, argued that President Tinubu’s declaration was unconstitutional, stating that the Senate’s ratification via voice vote contradicted Section 305 of the Constitution, which mandates a two-thirds majority.

Owuru also claimed that all subsequent actions, including the budget passage, were illegitimate. However, the National Assembly’s lawyer, Mohammed Galadima, countered that all procedures were duly followed and that halting the process would disrupt governance in the state.

Justice Omotosho, in his ruling, said, “The court cannot restrain an act that has already been concluded,” referencing the budget’s passage on June 25. He further noted that the core arguments would be better examined during the main trial.

The court therefore dismissed the interlocutory motion and scheduled October 20, 2025, for the hearing of the substantive case challenging the legality of the emergency rule and Ibas’s appointment.