Supreme Court Affirms Martin Amaewhule as Legitimate Rivers House of Assembly Leader
The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Mr. Martin Amaewhule as the authentic leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, declaring it the legally constituted lawmaking body in the state.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, delivered the unanimous judgment, which was read by Justice Emmanuel Agim. The court also issued a directive that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) are prohibited from releasing any further budgetary allocations to the state until a valid Appropriation Act is passed by a lawfully constituted House of Assembly.
The judgment ordered that Amaewhule and the 26 other members of the House of Assembly, who had been accused of defection, should be allowed to resume their legislative duties without any hindrance. The court further instructed that all members of the House should resume normal legislative business.
In a strong rebuke, Justice Agim condemned the actions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of unlawfully demolishing the House of Assembly out of fear that his impeachment was imminent. The court criticized Fubara’s decision to destroy the legislative body and called it an illegal act that undermined the rule of law.
The Supreme Court also overturned the previous judgment by the Court of Appeal, which had ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over matters related to the funds of Rivers State.
In addition, the court imposed a fine of N5 million on Governor Fubara and the Rivers State government, directing them to pay the sum to the Rivers House of Assembly and Martin Amaewhule as compensation. This ruling is a significant victory for the state’s lawmakers and a stern reminder of the importance of upholding constitutional processes.
