Supreme Court: One Gone, Four More to Go
• Why Fubara withdrew the matter on the representation of the 2024 budget
PHC Telegraph
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State on Monday withdrew a suit he filed challenging the order of lower court compelling him to re-present the 2024 budget before the Martins Amaewhule led House of Assembly.
The Supreme Court which commenced sitting on five matters pending before it heard that the matter under reference had been overtaken by circumstances.
Yusuf Ali (SAN), lawyer for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, told the court when hearing started that a notice seeking to withdraw the case challenging the order to represent the 2024 budget had been communicated to the Apex Court on February 6, 2025.
Addressing their Lordships shortly after the matter was called in open court, Ali said, “the appeal has been overtaken by events”.
Lawyers for the respondents,Wole Olanipekun (SAN), and Joseph Daudu (SAN) did not oppose Ali’s move.
They argued that since issues have been joined, the court should rather dismiss the matter instead of striking it out.
They also asked for cost in the sum of two million for each of their clients.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Aba-Aji granted the application and dismissed the appeal.
She also granted the request for cost of N2 million in favour of the first to 12 respondents.
Olanipekun represented Rivers State House of Assembly and Amaewhule, first and second respondents in the matter while Daudu stood in for the 3rd up to the 12th respondents (National Assembly and the leadership).
However, the other remaining suits, four of them, are ripe for hearing, meaning that as some celebrate, these matters are still alive despite insinuations suggesting Amaewhule’s speakership has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Telegraph understands that it may have amounted to an academic exercise if Fubara and his lawyers allowed legal arguments to proceed.
Money’s on the said budget had already been spent and the relevance of those arguments in court would certainly not offer any advantage.
With one matter gone, there are four more suits to go.
The matter most observers are seriously interested is the suit relating to the status of Amaewhule and 24 others.