A’court upholds judgment nullifying 2024 Rivers budget passed by pro-Fubara lawmakers

A court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of the federal high court that voided the presentation and passage of the 2024 budget for Rivers state

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, the appellate court held that the appeal filed by Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, lacks merit.

In January 2024, a federal high court in Abuja voided and set aside the presentation and passage of the state’s 2024 budget.

James Omotoso, the presiding judge, had ordered Fubara to re-present the budget to the “legally” constituted house of assembly under Martin Amaewhule, the factional speaker of the assembly.

Omotoso ordered Fubara to release all funds accruable to the Rivers house of assembly and barred the governor from interfering with activities of the state’s legislative arm.

The court also nullified the redeployment of the clerk and deputy clerk of the state assembly by the state’s head of civil service.

In December 2023, Fubara presented an N800 billion appropriation bill titled: ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’.

The budget was presented to five out of the over 30 lawmakers of the assembly, who were from the Edison Ehie-led faction.

The development came after 27 of the lawmakers in the assembly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with their seats declared vacant.