Supreme Court judgement: Apex court recognise Amaewhule and pro-Wike lawmakers, stop allocations to Rivers state

Di Supreme court of Nigeria don order di Accountant-General of di federation to cease all fund to Rivers state government until di govnor present budget to di legitimate house of Assembly.

Di five-man panel also declare Martins Amaewhule as di legitimate Speaker of di state assembly.

Dis follow for di series of judgement wey di highest court deliver on Friday for di mata wey involve di political kasala for di Southern state.

Na Justice Emmanuel Agim take di lead judgement.

"We hereby order say di CBN and Accountant General of di Federation get to immediately stop to release all funds, monies, revenue, wey accrue to di Rivers State Government, pending di presentation and approval of a legitimate budget by Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule," di court declare.

For unanimous judgement, di court say any oda sitting of any oda set of individuals wey dey claim to be di members of Rivers State House of Assembly, wit any oda leader except Martin Amaewhule, "na nullity, and dia actions dey null and void."

Wetin govnor Fubara dey do dey illegal - Supreme Court

Di panel knock Govnor Fubara say e encourage only four members out of 32 to dey sit and decide di fate of di oil rich state.

Dem also accuse di govnor of abuse of power for Nigeria democracy saying, e dey unacceptable.

Di apex court say wetin Govnor Fubara dey do dey illegal by acting based on di decision of 12.5% of di lawmakers.

"By encouraging four out of di 32 members of the Rivers State house of assembly to kontinu to operate, di govnor dey operate using only 12.5% of di State Assembly, dis dey illegal.

"Na act of indiscipline bordering on excessive use of power, and joke wey no get part for democracy," Judge tok, as e dey cite di earlier ruling of di Federal High Court.

Remember say wen di matta bin dey in front of di Federal High Court, legal counsels to di Rivers State goment and Govnor Siminalayi Fubara withdraw di counter affidavits wey dem file.

Dis na in response to di allegations against dem by di Martin Amaewhule-led faction.

E happun afta intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wey propose some reconciliation moves while instructing both parties to withdraw dia matta from court.

However, di Amaewhule faction fail to withdraw dia own initial affidavits.

Justice Emmanuel Agim wey read di Supreme Court judgement, agree wit Justice Omotosho of di Federal High Court say "by withdrawing dia counter affidavits, di Rivers State goment don admit to all di allegations wey dey against dem by di Amaewhule assembly.

Dis allegations include say di govnor dey try to collapse di legislative arm of goment by using all tactics including demolishing di state assembly complex, becos e fear say impeachment proceedings go start against am.

"Di govnor fear of impeachment no be enof reason to destroy legitimate democratic institution," Justice Agim tok.

E also award N5 million cost respectivel against govnor Fubara and di Rivers State goment.

All di oda four Judges agree wit di judgement

One of di matters bifor di Supreme Court na di one concerning di judgement of di Court of Appeal for July 2024 wey nullify di removal of Martin Amaewhule and 24 odas as members of Rivers State House of Assembly.

Oga Amaewhule na di Speaker of di faction of di River State Assembly wey no dey gree wit Govnor Fubara sotey dem bin announce say dem don comot from di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join di All Progressives Congress (APC), di lawmakers later make U-turn say dem no be registered members of di APC.

But afta dat announcement, Fubara bin carry di matter go court to ask di court to sack di lawmakers wey defect, sake of wetin constitution tok say lawmaker wey leave im party go also vacate di seat.

Justice Charles Wali of di Rivers State high court bin grant di order on 10 May 2024. E stop Martin Amaewhule from parading imsef as di Speaker of di Rivers State House of Assembly, and also bar di 24 oda members from entering di assembly complex or carrying out any legislative assignment in di name of di Rivers State House of Assembly.

However, di court of appeal, on 4 July, 2024, overturn di judgement and return Amaewhule and di oda 24 members.

Anoda appeal bifor di Supreme Court na di one concerning di condut of local government elections in Rivers State by di state independent electoral commission.

How di political kassala start?

Wahala start afta Govnor Sim Fubara and im former political godfather wey be di immediate past Govnor, Nyesom Wike bin get wahala. E no dey clear exactly wetin cause dia fight.

But majority of di members of di Rivers State Assembly wey dey loyal to Wike bin join body to fight Fubara, and dem even make attempt to impeach am from office.

Di matter even lead to explosion for di Assembly complex and di demolition of part of di complex by di govnor.

Eventually, di Wike loyalists announce say dem don comot from PDP and dem don join APC, so Fubara insist say dia seats for di assembly don dey vacant based on wetin constitution tok. Sometin wey di lawmakers don deny.

Di constitution tok say elected pesin wey leave im party go also vacate di position wey e win thru dat party, unless if clear division dey for di party.

Govnor Fubara and im faction argue say no division dey for PDP wey suppose cause di oda lawmakers to comot, so dia seats don automatically dey vacant.

Di govnor match im threats wit action wen e present di 2024 budget to only four members of di State Assembly led by Edison Ehie as Speaker dat time.

Fubara later appoint Edison Ehie as im Chief of Staff, and Victor Oko Jumbo bicom di new Speaker.