The Abuja Court of Appeal has backed the Federal High Court’s ruling on the invalidation of the 2024 Rivers State budget.
On Thursday, the appellate court handed down a unanimous judgment, declaring that the appeal filed by Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, had no merit.
In January 2024, Justice James Omotoso made a ruling that deemed the presentation and approval of Rivers State’s budget as illegal.
The judge told Governor Fubara to present the N800 billion budget again to the House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule – the factional speaker.
Fubara only showed the budget to five lawmakers from Edison Ehie’s crew, even though there are over 30 assembly members.
This presentation happened after 27 PDP legislators decamped to APC, causing their seats to become empty.
The Federal High Court ruling stopped Governor Fubara from meddling with the state legislature and cancelled the transfer of the assembly’s clerk and deputy clerk.
The governor was given the order to pay all the money owed to the assembly to keep things running smoothly.
Opinion: Appeal Court in Abuja Rejects Governor Fubara’s Appeal
This issue is no longer at the state level. It’s now between a state governor and the federal government.
The appeal court invalidating the state budget will surely affect the development of Rivers.
Then in 2027, they will campaign, saying, “What has he (Fubara) done?”
To make the matter worse, he was asked to present the budget again before the factional house of assembly.
And do you think they will approve the budget against their master’s wish?
I don’t think so.
Let Gov. Fubara starts looking at improving the state IGR.
Afterall, Tinubu survived as Lagos state governor without federal government allocation during Gen. Obasanjo regime.
If Fubara can successfully run on IGR, his name will forever be written in the hearts of the people of Rivers state.
He will become an HERO.