Jubilation in Rivers State as court of appeal rules against stoppage of federal allocation
Jubilation in Rivers State as court of appeal rules against stoppage of federal allocation
Amid political tension between FCT minister Wike and incumbent governor Fubara, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a Federal High Court judgement that previously barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing Rivers State’s monthly federal allocations.
This decision marks a critical victory for Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his administration. The appellate court delivered its split ruling on Friday, with two justices ruling in favor of the Rivers State government and one dissenting.
The case stemmed from an October 30 judgement by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, which ordered the CBN to withhold Rivers State’s monthly allocation.
Governor Fubara, through his legal team led by Yusuf Ali, SAN, filed an appeal seeking to overturn the order, arguing it was issued in bad faith and was detrimental to governance.
The case shows deep political divisions within Rivers State. The originating summons for the initial Federal High Court order was filed by a faction of the Rivers State Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule.
The faction, aligned with former governor and current minister Nyesom Wike, accused the Fubara-led executive of failing to comply with a court directive to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to their faction.
The federal government, initially supporting the High Court’s order, halted October’s Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue disbursement to Rivers State.
Governor Fubara’s appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1303/2024, successfully persuaded the appellate court to nullify the earlier orders. The Court of Appeal panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, ruled that withholding federal allocation was unjustified and disruptive to governance.
This victory strengthens Governor Fubara’s position amid a broader power struggle between his administration and the Wike-led faction.
