Supreme Court nullifies River State LG election

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Supreme Court  of Nigeria today  declared the River State’s local government election conducted on the 5th of October 2024 by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission  null and void.

Justice  Joyce Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the judgment   said the election was invalid due to lack of substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and guidelines for the conduct of local government election.

The court also held that processes leading to the conduct of the local government election were abridged in clear violation of Section 150 of the Electoral Act.

The Supreme Court also affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both in Abuja, which had earlier declared the acts against the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly members as unlawful and illegal.

The court imposed a fine of N10 million on Fubara to be paid to the assembly and the 27 members who instituted the suit against him.

The Supreme Court also ordered the CBN and the AGF to stop further release of financial allocations to the Rivers State state Government with immediate effect.

The apex court directed that the order shall be in force until Fubara stops all his illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional activities.

Specifically, the Court ordered that no money shall be released to the state government until a lawful Appropriation Law is enacted under the Martin Amaewhule Speakership.

Recall that  a Federal High Court had held that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January last year by Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a Constitutional summersault and an aberration that must not be allowed to continue.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik had in 2024 issued an order that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront on the Constitutional provision.