- Safiu Kehinde
Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, were, on Friday, thrown into a mood of praise and worship as they rejoiced over the Supreme Court ruling.
The Pro-Wike lawmakers, in jubilation of the legal victory, assembled at Wike’s Abuja residence where they held thanksgiving session.
As captured in an Instagram post, the lawmakers were joined by their legal counsels as they sang choruses in appreciation to God.
NPO reported that the Supreme Court had earlier today affirmed the Rivers House of Assembly led by Mr Martin Amaewhule as the authentic and legally constituted legislative body in the state as against the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led parliament.
Prior to that, the apex court ordered that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation must halt further release of budgetary allocations to Rivers state until a valid Appropriation Act is passed by a legally constituted House of Assembly.
The Supreme Court also overturned the previous ruling of the Court of Appeal, which had held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over cases related to Rivers state funds.
The court further nullified the local government elections conducted in Rivers on the 5th of October 2024, stating that they violated relevant laws thereby sacking all the elected LG Chairmen.
The apex court’s verdict saw Wike dealing his predecessor, Siminalayi Fubara, huge blow over the control Rivers politics.
The duo have been at loggerhead over the oil-rich state’s administration which left the state in a prolonged political crisis.