FCT Minister Wike Allegedly Disbands Special Court of Appeal Panel on Rivers LGA Election

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly ordered the dissolution of a Special Court of Appeal panel in Abuja that upheld the Rivers State Local Government elections conducted under Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration. This development comes amid Wike’s ongoing political feud with Fubara, his former protégé.

According to sources, the panel, led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, was quietly disbanded after it ruled in favor of the Rivers State government. The panel had nullified a previous Federal High Court decision barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for local government elections. The appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over the case since the Electoral Act applies only to federal, gubernatorial, and FCT area council elections—not state-managed local government polls.

In a related matter, SaharaReporters revealed that a second appellate court panel, headed by Justice Hamah Barka and including Justices Adebukola Banjoko and Peter C. Obiora, took over a separate appeal concerning Rivers State’s monthly allocations. Justice Barka had previously recused himself from matters involving Rivers State, citing allegations of compromise.

The controversy revolves around a High Court order preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing monthly allocations to Rivers State, following a case filed by a faction of the Rivers State Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule. The Assembly alleged that the executive arm, led by Governor Fubara, failed to comply with a directive to re-submit the 2024 budget.

The Federal Government initially announced it would halt Rivers State’s allocation for October in compliance with the court order. However, it later reversed the decision, citing a pending appeal that allowed disbursement to continue.

Governor Fubara, through his legal team led by Yusuf Ali, SAN, argued before the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the High Court’s ruling was issued in bad faith. He urged the appellate court to overturn the decision and lift the restrictions on the state’s monthly allocations.

Meanwhile, Wike is reportedly displeased with the Accountant General’s office for authorizing Rivers State’s allocation despite the ongoing legal disputes, which he believes undermine the stay of execution.