Supreme Court Rejects Fubara’s Appeal Against Amaewhule-Led Assembly

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, challenging the leadership of the state’s House of Assembly under Speaker Martin Amaewhule.

A five-member panel, headed by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, dismissed the case and ordered Fubara to pay ₦2 million in costs—₦1 million each to the Rivers State House of Assembly and Martin Amaewhule.

The decision came after Fubara’s legal representative, Yusuf Ali, withdrew the appeal, leading to its dismissal.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has been caught in a prolonged political crisis since 2023, following the defection of over 25 lawmakers aligned with former governor Nyesom Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This shift led to a leadership dispute between two rival factions—one led by Martin Amaewhule and the other by Victor Oko-Jumbo, who remains loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Governor Fubara has since chosen to work exclusively with the Oko-Jumbo faction while disregarding the Amaewhule-led group.

In October, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court, which invalidated the N800 billion 2024 budget passed by the pro-Fubara lawmakers.

The appellate court dismissed Fubara’s appeal, ruling that it lacked merit and reaffirming the nullification of the budget’s presentation and passage.

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