February 10, (THEWILL) – Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has withdrawn an appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking to set aside a judgment that nullified the state’s 2024 budget.
Governor Fubara had approached the apex court to challenge an October 10, 2024 ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which upheld the January 22 judgment of the Federal High Court, delivered by Justice James Omotosho, nullifying the 2024 Rivers State budget.
The Governor had presented the budget to the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie in December 2023 following the alleged defection of 27-pro Wike lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 27 lawmakers had on December 11, 2023, announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. Subsequently, the Rivers Assembly led by former Speaker Edison Ehie on December 13, 2023 declared their seats vacant following their defection.
A Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice Charles N. Wali, had in a ruling delivered on May 10 and 30th, 2024, granted an order restraining Amaewhule and the 24 other Pro-Wike lawmakers from sitting and parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
While the Federal High Court and the appeal court in Abuja voided the 2024 budget presented to the Edison faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor Fubara had filed an appeal before the supreme Court to challenge the ruling.
However in a notice to the Apex Court on Monday, the Governor said events had overtaken his appeal bothering on the 2024 budget.
Following no objections from the parties, a five-membet panel of the apex Court led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, dismissed the appeal. Justice Abba-Aji also awarded a cost of two million naira against the governor payable to the Rivers State House of Assembly as the first respondent and Martin Amaewhule as the second respondent.
Commenting on the ruling in a statement issued by Warisenibo Joe Johnson, Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communication, Fubara said, “The appeal is of no useful purpose. The only reasonable thing left to do was to withdraw the appeal and have it dismissed.
“The Supreme Court is a very busy court. It would be unwise to burden the Honourable Court with academic appeals that hold no practical or utilitarian value. That is the appeal the urchins are celebrating.
“There is no Supreme Court judgment against Governor Fubara. Ignore the outdated political propaganda by some desperate politicians.”
The statement clarified that the Supreme Court ruling pertained solely to Fubara’s voluntary withdrawal of the appeal, rendering it irrelevant in light of the full implementation of the 2024 budget.
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