Disobedience, Disregard To Supreme Court – Peter Obi Condemns Release Of Rivers Allocation To Sole Administrator

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned reports that the federal government has released Rivers State allocation to the newly appointed Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.

Naija News recalls that the Supreme Court had in a recent ruling ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to release funds to the Rivers State Government until a budget is presented before the State House of Assembly.

But following the appointment of a Sole Administrator and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the federal government released the allocation to Ibas.

Reacting in a post on his social media on Monday, Peter Obi stated that the release of funds to the Administrator is a clear disobedience to the Supreme Court order.

According to him, the federal government move is a brazen disregard for the rule of law and democratic principles.

Peter Obi wrote: “What is happening in the country today as it relates to River State is an aberration, unknown to our Constitution and must be condemned by every discerning mind.

“What we are witnessing in Rivers State is a brazen disobedience and disregard for the rule of law and our democratic principles. 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 passes 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.”