The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Frontiers has commended the Federal High Court’s ruling that stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing monthly allocations to the Rivers state government.
The court ruling comes after Governor Siminalayi Fubara controversially presented the 2024 budget to a four-member Rivers House of Assembly, allegedly violating Sections 91 and 96 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik’s judgement, Governor Fubara’s actions constituted a “constitutional somersault and aberration” that must not continue.
The PDP Youth Frontiers praised the ruling at a press conference on Wednesday, October 30, stating that it revives hope in the judiciary as a guardian of Nigeria’s democracy.
The court’s decision declared the four-member assembly’s actions void, referencing prior Federal High Court and Court of Appeal rulings that annulled its authority.
Consequently, Comr. Henry Owolabi, the group’s national coordinator, demanded an immediate reversal of all decisions made by the alleged illegitimate assembly and a refund of illegally spent funds....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
“We are pleased that the ruling, in citing constitutional violations by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was specific in stating that the decisions made by the four-member Fubara-backed assembly were void and referenced prior rulings by the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal that had annulled its authority,” he said.
Owolabi also urged Governor Fubara to respect the party that gave him the platform to become governor and to retrace his steps to avoid further constitutional breaches.
He called on the PDP to provide guidance to the Rivers State House of Assembly to prevent the people from suffering due to the governor’s actions.
Owolabi stressed the need for Governor Fubara to take corrective action, warning that persistence in his current path may necessitate further legal action.
“We hope that Governor Fubara will explore the face-saving chance that this court ruling has provided to retrace his steps and return to respecting the PDP as the platform that magnanimously gave him the platform that made him the Rivers State Governor,” he added.
