Atiku urges Judiciary to maintain order in Rivers state amidst conflicting rulings

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a passionate plea to the judiciary, urging it to avoid exacerbating tensions in Rivers State through conflicting legal orders.

His call comes in the wake of a recent ruling from a Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend all payments to the state.

In a statement released late Wednesday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Abubakar expressed deep concern that certain factions aligned with the federal government may be manipulating the judicial process to destabilize Rivers State.

He questioned the rationale behind Justice Joyce Abdulmalik’s order, especially given the public knowledge that the Rivers State government is currently appealing a Court of Appeal decision deeming the state’s 2024 budget illegal.

In his statement, titled “Don’t Set Rivers on Fire, @atiku Urges Judiciary,” the former presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) outlined the unfolding legal drama:

“Just last week, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Rivers State budget was invalid because it was passed by an improperly constituted assembly, directing Governor Siminalayi Fubara to re-present the budget.

In response, the Rivers State Government has filed a notice of appeal, seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention. Yet, individuals within the Bola Tinubu administration seem to have orchestrated a ruling designed to undermine this appeal.”

Abubakar also referenced a warning from legal expert Femi Falana (SAN), who had alerted the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, about potential judicial compromises following reports of gifts presented to judges in Abuja. He lamented that Falana’s concerns went unheeded.

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“Since the Tinubu administration took office, Nigeria has entered a troubling phase where courts appear to be deepening political crises instead of resolving them,” he stated. “From the emirship conflicts in Kano to the current situation in Rivers, courts are being utilized to obstruct elections and undermine democratic processes, echoing the dark days of June 12, 1993, when electoral results were annulled.”

Abubakar expressed dismay at the current trajectory of the judiciary, noting that as conflicting rulings proliferate, public trust in an institution that is supposed to serve as the “last hope of the common man” is rapidly eroding. He warned that such instability could deter foreign investment in Nigeria, as investors typically shy away from environments where judicial outcomes can be influenced by corruption.

“Nigeria must not descend into a state of chaos where citizens feel compelled to resort to self-help,” he cautioned. “With Rivers State representing nearly 25% of Nigeria’s oil assets, the stakes are incredibly high, particularly as the country grapples with an economic crisis compounded by vandalism and banditry.”

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He concluded with a strong appeal for the judiciary to restore its integrity before it is too late, urging that the national interest should take precedence over personal political ambitions.