Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has praised the Supreme Court’s decision to annul the local government elections in Rivers State and support the legitimacy of the 27-member State Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule.
Speaking in Abuja after the ruling, Wike said that the judgment has ended the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
He also accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed of supporting disorder in the state.
Wike stated that Governor Siminalayi Fubara must comply with the ruling, as the Supreme Court’s verdict is the final word on the matter.
Following the judgment, a video surfaced showing Wike celebrating with former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, praising God for the ruling.
He said: “There’s nothing like Amaehule faction. Well the court said that the budget should be presented to the reconstituted State Assembly, which is the authentic State Assembly.
“First of all we give God all the glory and honor that today being 28th February, 2025. I always say that the wheel of justice is sluggish but it will always come when it will come. This matter has been laid to rest by the highest court of the land. The Supreme Court has made it clear that we can’t have a democracy without the legislature.
“It’s unheard of where someone will say that three people will constitute an Assembly to make law for the entire state. It has nothing to do with an individual, whether you like this person’s face or not.
“What’s important is: can three people make law for a state?”
Recall that the Supreme Court on Friday declared the Rivers State local government election held on October 5, 2024, as invalid.
The decision, which was reached unanimously by a five-member panel, followed an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This ruling overturns an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on November 21, 2024, which had upheld the election results.
The Supreme Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) met the necessary legal conditions outlined in Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act before proceeding with the election.
The case initially gained attention when Peter Lifu, a federal high court judge, blocked the release of the voter register to RSIEC on September 30, 2024.
The judge also prohibited the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from providing security during the election.
However, on November 21, 2024, a special panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Onyekachi Otisi, concluded that the case should not have been heard in the high court, arguing that issues regarding local government elections should be dealt with in other courts.
The Supreme Court has now dismissed this view, reinstating the decision made by the federal high court and annulled the election results.
In another related development, the Supreme Court also upheld a ruling from the Federal High Court that prevents the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General from releasing monthly statutory allocations to Rivers State.
The court also ordered the resumption of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Martins Amaewhule, who heads a faction loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
This judgment came after Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, failed to resubmit the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led assembly.
The court dismissed the decision of the Abuja Court of Appeal, which had overturned the Federal High Court’s ruling.
A five-judge panel, led by Justice Emmanuel Agim, ruled that the lawmakers who were said to have defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) remain valid members of the assembly.
The ruling also affirmed that any other group claiming to be the assembly under a different leadership is invalid.
In the judgment, the Supreme Court criticized the actions of the governor, saying it was improper to operate with only a small fraction of the assembly.
The court stated that such actions were undemocratic and an abuse of power. It also reiterated that funds should not be released to Rivers State until a legitimate budget is presented and approved by the Amaewhule-led assembly.
As a result, the court imposed a N5 million fine on Governor Fubara for the violation of legal and democratic processes.
