The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday declared the 2024 budget of Rivers State, signed into law by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as invalid.
The court upheld a previous ruling by a lower court, which had deemed the budget, passed by a faction of the state’s House of Assembly, as unconstitutional.
The budget, amounting to N800 billion, was approved by only four lawmakers, a minority group led by Edison Ehie, who are loyal to Governor Fubara. However, the court recognized the legitimacy of the larger faction of 27 members, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, who are aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike.
The court ruled that the budget passed by the minority faction violated quorum requirements and that the governor’s reliance on it constituted “executive recklessness.” Additionally, the court found that the budget’s presentation and approval within 24 hours disregarded a previous court order.
The court also dismissed Governor Fubara’s appeal against the earlier ruling, stating that he had lost the right to appeal by withdrawing his filings from the lower court. This withdrawal was deemed a concession to the allegations, including the illegal demolition of parts of the House of Assembly and the redeployment of its officials.
The court condemned the governor’s actions as a violation of the principle of separation of powers and declared the budget null and void.
