Governor Fubara Takes Legal Battle Over Federal Allocations To Appeal Court

Governor Fubara Takes Legal Battle Over Federal Allocations To Appeal

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a ruling that prevents the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disbursing monthly allocations to the state. Fubara’s legal team, led by Mr. Yusuf Ali, SAN, filed a motion…READ MORE…

asking the three-judge panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, to lift the injunction issued by the Federal High Court.

The governor contended that the ruling, made by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on October 30, was issued in bad faith and should be nullified. Fubara’s appeal, registered as CA/ABJ/CV/1303/2024, was heard along with five other appeals related to the same case.

Other appellants in the matter include the Rivers State Government, the Accountant-General of Rivers, and Zenith Bank Plc. The case originated from a lawsuit filed by the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Hon. Martins Amaewhule, which sought to stop the CBN from releasing funds to the state.

The Federal High Court had issued a restraining order following the lawsuit, challenging the state government’s access to federal allocations. Defendants in the case include the CBN, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Governor Fubara, and several state agencies.

In their appeal, Fubara and the other appellants requested the appellate court to nullify the high court’s decision. Meanwhile, the Amaewhule faction, represented by Mr. J.B. Daudu, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the original ruling.

At the heart of the case is a dispute between Governor Fubara and the Amaewhule faction, which is loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike. The faction had sought to freeze federal allocations due to Fubara’s failure to present the state’s 2024 Appropriation Bill, as directed by the court.

Governor Fubara, however, maintains that the Amaewhule-led faction is no longer a legitimate body after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). After hearing arguments from both sides, the panel reserved its judgment, with a decision to be announced at a later date.

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