Appeal Court Nullifies Rivers 2024 Budget Approved By Edison-Ehie Faction

Appeal Court Nullifies Rivers 2024 Budget Approved By Edison-Ehie FactionThe Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the Federal High Court’s ruling that nullified the ₦800 billion budget passed by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie. The appellate court dismissed the appeal brought by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, ruling that it lacked merit....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In its decision, the court pointed out that Governor Fubara had previously withdrawn his counter-affidavit in the lower court, preventing him from appealing a case he had not contested. The judges stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law, warning that the current political dynamics in the Rivers State Assembly under Governor Fubara’s leadership amounted to “executive dictatorship.”

The court labeled the situation a “joke taken too far,” citing concerns over democratic governance. It ruled that Governor Fubara’s submission of the 2024 Rivers State Appropriation Bill to only four out of 31 Assembly members was a blatant violation of Section 91 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Rivers State Assembly became divided due to tensions between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Amid this conflict, Fubara excluded the 26 pro-Wike members led by Amaewhule and presented the ₦800 billion budget to the faction led by Hon. Edison Ehie, who had declared the seats of the pro-Wike lawmakers vacant after they defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The budget was promptly passed and signed into law.

Following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention, Fubara and Wike agreed to a peace pact, which restored Amaewhule as the legitimate Speaker of the Assembly. Edison Ehie later withdrew his legal claims and resigned from the Assembly.

In line with the peace agreement, Governor Fubara also withdrew his legal challenges, but the pro-Wike lawmakers declined to terminate their lawsuit. The Federal High Court subsequently ruled that the budget was invalid, accusing Fubara of acting like a tyrant by demolishing the Assembly complex and withholding funds from the legislative body.

The court also condemned Fubara’s decision to redeploy the Assembly’s Clerk and Deputy Clerk, declaring it unconstitutional. Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the case, stressed that Fubara’s interference violated the court’s order not to overreach in the ongoing dispute.

Furthermore, the court rejected the idea of the National Assembly intervening in the legislative affairs of Rivers State, citing the absence of the conditions outlined in Section 11 of the 1999 Constitution. It voided all actions taken by the Rivers Assembly without the participation of the pro-Wike lawmakers, including the presentation of the budget.

The appellate court agreed with the lower court’s ruling, stating that Fubara’s withdrawal of his legal filings effectively conceded to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers. The court concluded that the appeal was purely academic and ordered Fubara to pay ₦500,000 in costs to each respondent.

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