By Abiola Olawale
The Rivers State Government has clarified reports emerging after a Supreme Court ruling on Monday.
The state government clarified that reports emerging from an appeal with numbers, viz, (SC/CV/1071/2024: Governor of Rivers State v. Rivers State House of Assembly & Others) that was dismissed by the Supreme Court on February 10, 2025, were misinterpreted and grossly misunderstood.
In a statement issued by the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Edison Ehie, the State government stated that the appeal that was throen out is related to a Court of Appeal judgment that required Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget before the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
Ehie maintained that the decision of the Rivers State Government to withdraw this appeal was because the 2024 budget had already been spent by December 31, 2024, rendering the appeal purely academic and without practical value in 2025, which has its own budget.
Fubara also emphasized that its separate case challenging the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the membership of lawmakers who defected in December 2023 is still pending before the Supreme Court awaiting determination and adjudication.
The statement reads in part: “This appeal SC/CV/1071/ 2024: GOV of Rivers State v Rivers State House of Assembly & Ors that came up today at the Supreme Court has become purely academic.
“The case leading to this appeal was before James Omotosho as SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023. It was filed on the 29th day of November 2023.
“SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 pertains to the 2024 budget, which is no longer alive, the monies appropriated therein having been judiciously spent for the benefit of the good people of Rivers State.
“The 2024 budget became spent on the 31st December of the 2024 fiscal year
The appeal is of no useful purpose in this year 2025, which has its budget.
The only reasonable thing left to do in the circumstances was to withdraw the appeal and have it dismissed.
“It would be most unwise to belabour the Honourable Court with academic appeals without any practical or utilitarian value.
“It is important to note that after Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 was filed on 29th November 2023, Martin Chike and his 26 friends defected from PDP to APC on the 11th Day of December 2023. Their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly became vacant.
“This appeal that was withdrawn today has nothing to do with the seats of Martin Chike Amaewhule and his 26 friends in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The members of the public should not be taken in by the misleading propaganda by Martin Chike Amaewhule and his 26 friends.”
