BREAKING: Supreme court dismisses Fubara’s suit seeking to remove 27 defected lawmakers from Rivers Assembly

The executive governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara on Monday suffered political fate as the Supreme Court dismisses his suit seeking to remove the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers from Rivers State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to All Progressives Congress, APC, thereby throwing their support to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji held dismissed the suit after the unexpected withdrawal of the case by counsel to Fubara, Yusufu Ali, SAN.

The abrupt withdrawal was not opposed by Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, Martin Amaewhule who was represented in Court by his lead Counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN.

The Court however, awarded N4 million fine to be paid by Rivers State governor in favour of the Speaker and the House of Assembly for not objecting to the withdrawal.

After Court sitting, a Senior lawyer who was a party to the Court proceedings on Monday, Ken Njemanze, SAN stated that all debris have been cleared for the embattled 27 lawmakers to resume their statutory duties at the Rivers State House of Assembly.

He added that Fubara’s decision on his 2024 and 2025 budgets presentation to only three members of the State Assembly have been rendered a nullity, given the Supreme Court judgement.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the Court of Appeal in October, 2024 dismissed the appeal by Governor Fubara to remove the 27 lawmakers of the State House of Assembly.

On the controversy trailing the budget presentation to four members of Rivers Assembly, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho on January 22, 2024, had nullified the passage of the Rivers State N800 billion 2024 budget, which had been approved by only four lawmakers. The four lawmakers that approved the budget was led by Hon. Ehie Edison.