A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, declined to grant a motion to stop Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from spending the state’s consolidated revenue fund.
The motion ex parte, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, was brought forward by the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The presiding judge, Justice Nwite in his ruling ordered the plaintiffs to put all the defendants in the suit on notice.
The pro-Wike faction, led by Martin Amaewhule, had previously barred Fubara from spending from the state consolidated account, citing his refusal to present the 2024 budget afresh.
In response, Fubara refused, arguing that the N800 billion budget had already been approved in January by the Assembly faction loyal to him.
Justice Nwite’s ruling maintains that Fubara should not be restricted from using state funds.
The defendants in the suit include the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank PLC, the Accountant General of the Federation, Fubara, the Rivers State Accountant-General, the Rivers Independent Electoral Commission, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice S.C. Amadi, the Chairperson of RSIEC, Adolphus Enebeli, and the Government of Rivers State.
The judge said, “the leave is hereby granted to the plaintiffs/applicants to serve the 5th to 10th defendants/respondents with the plaintiffs/applicants’ originating and any other process (es) filed or issued in this suit by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in the Nation Newspapers.”
Mr Nwite adjourned the matter until 7 August for hearing the motion on notice.