The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday reserved its judgment in a case filed by Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, seeking to overturn a ruling that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing monthly allocations to the state.
This comes after the Federal High Court in Abuja, on October 30, ordered that the CBN withhold further disbursements to Rivers State, citing alleged constitutional violations by Governor Fubara. The ruling was in response to Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 appropriation bill before a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, which the court deemed unlawful. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who issued the order, recognized the faction loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, as the legitimate lawmakers and ordered the halt of allocations until the governor presented the budget to the 27 lawmakers supporting Wike.
Governor Fubara, however, contends that the judgment was flawed and has appealed for the Court of Appeal to vacate the order. He argues that the faction that signed the 2024 budget was no longer legally constituted and should not have been recognized by the court.
During Friday’s proceedings, the three-judge panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, listened to arguments from both sides before announcing that judgment would be reserved. The panel also consolidated five other appeals related to the case, which are now under review.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) clarified that the October 2024 Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting had already distributed N1.411 trillion among the 36 states, including Rivers State. Despite the court order, the OAGF confirmed that allocations had been made to all states, including Rivers, but the actual release of funds would be pending until all procedures, including CBN processing, were completed. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, assured that the office would respect the court’s final ruling, whether it confirmed or altered the previous decision.
The controversy continues as Governor Fubara’s legal team urges the Court of Appeal to rule in his favor, while the status of the October allocations remains uncertain until the appellate court delivers its judgment. The date for the ruling will be communicated to the parties involved in the case.