Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has denied describing the Supreme Court ruling on Rivers State as reckless.

 

The apex court recently affirmed the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers House of Assembly members as valid members of the house.

 

The court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation not to release funds to the state government until its House of Assembly is constituted in line with the dictates of the 1999 Constitution.

 

Reacting to the judgment, Obi posted a statement titled “Too much attention on frivolities as poverty deepens is concerning,” via his official X handle, saying, “The reckless judiciary pronouncement on Rivers State is capable of threatening democracy.”



In the same statement, Obi also alluded to a court pronouncement that deprived state(s) of funds to provide needed services to the citizens as a reckless judgment.

 

“The national discourse is consumed by trivialities, whether it is allegations of sexual harassment or budget padding in the National Assembly, controversies surrounding State Houses of Assembly speakership, reckless court judgments threatening to destabilize or deprive the state of funding to provide needed services to the citizens,” the ex-governor said.

 

However, three days later, the Labour Party chieftain denied berating the apex court judgement on River State.

 

In a statement posted on his X page, Obi said he never made remarks describing the court ruling as reckless. 


“My attention has been drawn to a news report saying that I described the Supreme Court ruling on Rivers State as reckless. The statement I made from which the report was drawn is on the general terms of the attitude of the political elites in the face of deepening poverty in the land. There’s nowhere I made direct remarks on the Supreme Court ruling as reckless.

 

Obi said even if he does not agree with the Supreme Court’s judgment on matters, he won’t describe its verdict as reckless.