Deji Adeyanju Says Supreme Court Did Not Dismiss Fubara’s Appeal
Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju has refuted reports claiming that the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State, clarifying that the appeal was actually withdrawn by the governor’s lawyers due to the matter being overtaken by events.
The confusion arose after reports indicated that the Supreme Court dismissed Fubara’s appeal concerning the re-presentation of the 2024 budget before the 27 members of the State House of Assembly loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
On Monday, the apex court delivered a ruling stating that the appeal had been dismissed, following the dramatic withdrawal of the case by Fubara’s lead counsel, Yusuf Ali, SAN. In the notice for withdrawal, Fubara’s lawyers informed the court that the subject of the appeal had become irrelevant due to changing circumstances.
The Rivers State House of Assembly and its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, represented by Wole Olanipekun, SAN, did not object to the withdrawal, and the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, awarding N4 million costs against Fubara, to be paid to the House of Assembly and Amaewhule.
However, Deji Adeyanju, taking to social media, corrected the misrepresentation in the media. He clarified: “Supreme Court did not dismiss Fubara’s Appeal. The appeal was withdrawn by lawyers representing the governor because the subject matter has been overtaken by events. This is the correct representation of what happened in court today.”
Adeyanju’s clarification sheds light on the actual events of the court proceeding, offering a more accurate understanding of the situation.