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Rivers State Budget Saga: Appeal Court Nullifies N800 Billion Budget, Cites Executive Overreach
In a landmark ruling, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the decision of the Federal High Court, setting aside the N800 billion Rivers State budget passed by five members of the State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie. The court dismissed Governor Siminalayi Fubara's appeal, citing lack of merit.
The appellate court's unanimous judgment emphasized that Governor Fubara's withdrawal of his counter-affidavit at the lower court precluded him from appealing the decision. The court stressed that the governor must adhere to the rule of law, rather than resorting to executive might.
The controversy surrounding the Rivers State budget began when five members of the State House of Assembly, led by Edison Ehie, passed the N800 billion budget. However, the legitimacy of this decision was questioned due to the small number of lawmakers involved.
Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has been accused of attempting to hijack the oil-rich state, even after ruling it for eight years. His influence has sparked concerns about the situation in the Rivers State House of Assembly,
Wike's tenure as governor was marked by controversies, including a disputed election in 2015, which was nullified by the Rivers State governorship election tribunal ¹. He also faced allegations of electoral malpractices and was accused of being awarded votes almost five times higher than the actual number of accredited voters.
Governor Fubara has been ordered to re-present the budget to the group of lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule, ensuring a more inclusive and legitimate decision-making process. As the situation unfolds, the people of Rivers State await a resolution to this budget impasse, hoping for a restoration of democratic norms and an end to executive overreach.