In another setback for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Supreme Court nullified the October 5, 2024, Rivers local government election in a unanimous ruling delivered on Friday.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court nullified the Rivers local government election, in which the Action Peoples Party (APP) won all 23 chairmanship positions.
Loyalists of Fubara contested the election on the platform of APP due to their lack of control over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structures in Rivers.
However, the apex court held that the election was conducted in violation of relevant laws.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, in the lead judgment, agreed with the appellant, the All Progressives Congress (APC), that conditions precedent were not complied with before the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) held the election.
Justice Tukur held that there was no evidence that voter registration continued until 90 days before the election and that the requisite notices were issued as required by law.
Fubara suffered a setback earlier when the Supreme Court affirmed the Rivers House of Assembly, led by Mr. Martin Amaewhule, as the authentic and legally constituted lawmaking body in the state.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, gave the order in a lead judgment read by Justice Emmanuel Agim.
The apex court also restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from further releasing budgetary allocations to Rivers until a valid Appropriation Act is passed by a lawfully constituted House of Assembly.
In a unanimous judgment on Friday, the panel ordered that Amaewhule and the other 26 members of the assembly, who were alleged to have defected, should be allowed to resume legislative duties unhindered.
The Supreme Court further ordered that all members of the House of Assembly are to resume normal legislative business without any hindrance to any member.
Justice Agim condemned the conduct of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who, he said, chose to destroy the government of Rivers and resorted to acting unlawfully by pulling down the House of Assembly due to his fear that there were moves to impeach him.
The apex court set aside the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, in which the appellate court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over cases relating to funds belonging to Rivers.
The panel equally awarded a cost of N5 million against Fubara and the Government of Rivers, to be paid to the Rivers House of Assembly and Amaewhule. (NAN)