Port Harcourt-Rivers state: The Federal High Court sitting n Abuja, on Monday, declined to grant a motion to stop the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, from spending from the state’s consolidated revenue fund.
Justice James Nwite instead of granting the motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, asked the plaintiffs to put Fubara and other defendants in the suit on notice.
The suit was filed by the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital territory (FCT) Abuja and ex-governor of Rivers state Barrister Nyesom Wike.
Martin Amaewhule led faction of the State Assembly had during its plenary on July 15, resolved to bar Fubara from spending from the Rivers State consolidated account following his refusal to represent the 2024 budget,
The 25 pro-Wike lawmakers had at their previous sitting given Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to present the budget, threatening to take action against him if he refused.
Governor Fubara, however, said he would not present afresh the N800bn budget already passed in January by the factional Assembly loyal to him.
He described the pro-Wike lawmakers as illegitimate, saying they had lost their seats as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, declined to grant a motion to stop the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, from spending from the state’s consolidated revenue fund.
The pro Sim -Fubara factional Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, also countered the call by the pro-Wike lawmakers on Fubara not to spend state funds.
Oko-Jumbo insisted that his faction of the Assembly was the legitimate Assembly and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections to replace the pro-Wike lawmakers.
The defendants in the suit are the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank PLC, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Rivers State Governor, Fubara, the Accountant-General of Rivers.
Others are Rivers Independent Electoral Commission, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice S.C. Amadi, Chairperson of RSIEC, Adolphus Enebeli, and the Government of Rivers State.
The pro-Wike lawmakers, through their lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), also prayed the court to order substituted service of court papers on the defendants, a prayer the judge granted.
Justice Nwite, in his ruling, ordered that the Motion on Notice be served on the 5th to 10th defendants
