Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment on a case brought by the Rivers State House of Assembly and its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, seeking to halt the allocation of funds to the Rivers State government.
After hearing all arguments related to the main suit, as well as motions and objections, the judge indicated that a decision would be delivered at a later date, which will be communicated to all involved parties.
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The plaintiffs, in case number FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2024, have named several defendants including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, the Accountant General of the Federation, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Accountant General, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, and other officials.
They are seeking a court order to freeze funds allocated to Rivers State.
Earlier, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed a request by the Rivers State government and other defendants to pause the proceedings while an appeal is pending.
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The judge described the request as “frivolous, vexatious, unwarranted, and mischievous.” Furthermore, a motion from the Rivers State Accountant General, asking the judge to withdraw from the case due to alleged bias, was rejected.
Justice Abdulmalik emphasized that her conduct was impartial, refusing both the recusal and a request to move the case to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
She underscored that the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction covers the entire country and that case assignments fall under the Chief Judge’s discretion.
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The legal conflict traces back to July 15, when the Rivers Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, suspended Governor Fubara’s expenditures until he resubmitted his budget for approval.
The Assembly set a seven-day deadline for the governor, which subsequently expired without a submission.
In response, the Assembly froze the state’s Consolidated Revenue Account, restricting financial activities by Fubara’s administration.
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The plaintiffs’ motion seeks to prevent the Central Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, and the Accountant General of the Federation from processing any financial instructions issued by Governor Fubara, thereby freezing the state’s funds.
