Peter Obi Slams Rivers State Government Over Disregard for Supreme Court Ruling On Allocation

This comes after the Supreme Court recently ruled that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should not release funds to the Rivers State Government until the State House of Assembly receives a budget. Despite this ruling and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the federal government proceeded to release the funds to Ibas.

In a social media post on Monday, Peter Obi decried the action, calling it a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s order. He described the release of funds to the Administrator as a clear defiance of the rule of law and democratic principles.

Obi wrote, “What is happening in Rivers State is an aberration, foreign to our Constitution, and must be condemned by all reasonable individuals. What we are witnessing is an outright disobedience to the rule of law and the core values of our democracy. The decision to release statutory allocations to an appointed Sole Administrator, despite a Supreme Court order, is not only unlawful but a direct challenge to the highest authority of our judiciary.”

He further noted that the Supreme Court had specifically barred the CBN and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing funds until the state’s House of Assembly passes a valid Appropriation Act. Yet, the order is being blatantly ignored, raising serious moral concerns about the situation in Rivers State.

Obi warned that this disregard for the court’s judgment sets a dangerous precedent, with the CBN and AGF, institutions entrusted to uphold the law, complicit in undermining the judiciary. He stressed the importance of respecting the law to protect the nation’s democracy, stating, “A country cannot function where the rule of law is trampled, where the separation of powers is ignored, and where judicial decisions are treated as mere suggestions.”

Obi concluded by urging the nation to respect the law and uphold the democratic principles that bind it together.