The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied a request by the Rivers State Government to pause proceedings in a lawsuit that seeks to stop fund allocation to Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers State.
This decision marks another chapter in the state’s ongoing political crisis, which has divided the state legislature into factions. Governor Siminalayi Fubara faces opposition from a group led by Martin Amaewhule, who has the support of former governor Nyesom Wike, while another faction backing Fubara is led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
On Friday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the application filed by Rivers State’s lawyer, Gordy Uche (SAN), calling it “frivolous, vexatious, unwarranted, and mischievous.”
The ruling was issued in the case CA/ABJ/CV/1197/2024, initiated by the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The plaintiffs are asking the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold financial allocations to the LGAs in Rivers.
The Rivers State Government had requested a stay of proceedings, asserting that it intended to challenge the court’s jurisdiction in the matter.