Supreme Court halts Rivers allocations, reinstates Amaewhule as Speaker

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, as the legally recognized legislative body in the state.

A five-member panel of justices, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, delivered the unanimous judgment, with Justice Emmanuel Agim reading the lead decision. The ruling effectively reinstates Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers who were previously alleged to have defected, allowing them to resume legislative functions without obstruction.

In addition, the court issued an order restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from disbursing further budgetary allocations to the Rivers State Government until a valid Appropriation Act is passed by a properly constituted House of Assembly.

In his judgment, Justice Agim criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s actions, accusing him of unlawfully demolishing the state’s legislative complex out of fear of impeachment.

The Supreme Court also overturned an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal, which had held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over cases involving Rivers State funds.

Furthermore, the panel imposed a fine of N5 million on Governor Fubara and the Rivers State Government, ordering the payment to the Rivers State House of Assembly and Speaker Amaewhule.