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In a significant legal development, Justice James of the Federal High Court Abuja has declared the N800 billion budget passed by the Edison Ehie-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly as null and void. The judge emphasized that the sitting of Ehie and four other lawmakers, who approved the state budget, lacked legitimacy.
The court’s ruling also supported a suit filed by the Assembly and Speaker Martin Amaewhule against Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The suit sought an injunction to restrain the governor from impeding the Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership as speaker, among other grievances.
The backdrop to this legal battle includes a tumultuous political crisis in the oil-rich state. On December 13, 2023, amid the ongoing political turmoil and the demolition of the Assembly Complex, Governor Fubara presented the 2024 budget proposal of N800 billion to a group of five State Assembly members led by Edison Ehie.
This presentation occurred at the Government House in Port Harcourt, following the demolition of the Assembly Complex. The court had also restrained Ehie’s contender, Martins Amaewhule, from using the Assembly Complex at the time. In defiance of these challenges, Ehie and other lawmakers aligned with Fubara proceeded to pass the budget, subsequently signed into law by the governor.
The governor justified the budget as a strategic tool for fostering economic development, inclusive growth, and addressing socio-economic disparities within the state. However, the court’s verdict now casts a shadow over the legitimacy of this budget approval, setting the stage for potential political and legal repercussions in Rivers State.
