The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, against the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly under Martin Amaewhule.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, ruled against the governor’s case.
The court also ordered Fubara to pay two million naira to the Assembly and its leader, Amaewhule.
The case was withdrawn by Fubara’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali, leading to its dismissal.
The Rivers Assembly has been in crisis since 2023, when over 25 lawmakers loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). This led to a power struggle between Amaewhule’s group and another faction led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, who supports Fubara.
Since then, Fubara has worked mainly with the Oko-Jumbo group, ignoring the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
In October 2023, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld an earlier ruling that canceled the N800 billion Rivers State budget for 2024, which was passed by pro-Fubara lawmakers. The court ruled that the budget approval was invalid.
