Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has slammed President Bola Tinubu-led government over the release of Rivers State’s withheld allocation to the appointed Sole Administrator despite the ruling of the Supreme Court.

 

Recall that the apex court on February 28, barred the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation and other agencies from releasing allocations to Rivers State Government pending when it purged itself of what the court described as flagrant disobedience to court orders.

 

However, on Tuesday last week, President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in the state and consequently suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months over the lingering crisis.

 

Tinubu in a nationwide broadcast, announced the appointment of Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator to pilot the affairs of the state.

 

On Friday, Ibas confirmed in Port Harcourt that the withheld allocations have been released.

 

Reacting, Obi in a statement on Monday said, “the decision to release statutory allocations to an appointed Sole Administrator, despite a standing order of the Supreme Court, is not just unlawful — it is a direct challenge to the authority of the highest court of our country.

 

“The Supreme Court had explicitly barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing these funds until a properly constituted House of Assembly passed a valid Appropriation Act.

 

“Yet, we see a situation where this order is being ignored. This raises serious moral intentions, and questions of what is happening in Rivers State.

 

“By disregarding the judgment of the Supreme Court, those involved are setting a dangerous precedent. The CBN and AGF, institutions meant to uphold the law, should not be complicit in this disregard for our judiciary. We cannot build a nation where those who swore oaths to uphold our constitution and obey the laws are doing the opposite.

 

“This is about more than just Rivers State; it is about protecting the very fabric of our democracy, and our existence as a nation.

 

“A country cannot function where the rule of law is trampled upon, where the separation of powers is disregarded, and where judicial decisions are treated as mere suggestions.

 

“If we continue this way, we are undermining the future of our democracy. We must choose to do the right thing — to respect the law and uphold the principles that bind us as a nation”.