Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday warned Nigerian courts against setting Rivers State on fire with their judgments and orders.
Atiku’s warning came a few hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop releasing financial allocations to the Rivers State Government until a lawful appropriation act is passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly.
This decision was made by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in response to a suit filed by the factional pro-Nyesom Wike Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule.
Justice Abdulmalik held that the decision by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the Rivers State’s 2024 Appropriation Bill to a four-member Assembly, that was not properly constituted, should not be allowed to stand.
The court order essentially put a hold on any further funding to the Rivers State Government until the necessary legislative steps are taken.
This means that the state’s financial activities will be on hold until the House of Assembly passes a lawful appropriation act.
Reacting to the court order, Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said it was appalling that some elements loyal to President Bola Tinubu’s administration were pulling the strings from behind.
According to the statement, Atiku asked why Justice Abdulmalik issued the order when it was public knowledge that Rivers State had already challenged the Court of Appeal’s judgment on the legality of Rivers State’s 2024 budget.
The former Vice President said, “Last week the Court of Appeal declared that the Rivers State budget was illegal because it was passed by an inchoate assembly. The court ordered Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the budget afresh.
“The Rivers State Government has already filed a notice of appeal so that the Supreme Court can hear the matter.
“However, some elements in the Bola Tinubu administration have procured a judgment intended to undermine the Supreme Court.
“Even before the judgment was delivered, legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN) had alerted the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho of possible compromise after house gifts had been presented to judges in Abuja. Sadly, Falana’s warning was ignored.”
Meanwhile, Atiku applauded the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for summoning judges sitting on the Rivers State cases.
He, however, called on the nation’s top judge to ensure that those found wanting are disciplined in order to restore the fading glory of God the judiciary.
He said, “Nigeria has descended into the theatre of the absurd since the Tinubu administration took office.
“Courts are playing a more ignoble role in fostering political crises within political parties and even in states.
“From the emirship tussle in Kano State to the Rivers imbroglio where courts are going as far as preventing elections from holding, taking Nigeria back to the dark days of June 12, 1993 where polls were annulled.
“Sadly, under the leadership of those who claim to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy, the country is descending into chaos with conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction flying all over the place while judges are being induced in the name of empowerment and provision of houses.
“The result is that Nigerians are gradually losing confidence in an institution which prides itself as the last hope of the common man. Foreign investors will avoid any place where judgments can be bought by the highest bidder.
“Nigeria should not descend to the Hobessian state of nature where life is short, nasty and brutish, where citizens opt for self-help.
“Rivers State accounts for almost 25% of Nigeria’s oil assets. For a country facing an economic crisis worsened by vandalism and banditry, Tinubu should put his 2027 ambition aside and put Nigeria’s interest first.
“We call on the Nigerian judiciary to restore its image before it gets too late.”