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Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu's administration for releasing Rivers State’s withheld allocation to an appointed Sole Administrator despite a Supreme Court ruling barring such action.
The Supreme Court ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to withhold Rivers' allocation on February 28 until the state complied with court directives.
However, in a controversial move last week, President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and key state officials and appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator.
On Friday, March 21, Ibas confirmed in Port Harcourt that the withheld funds had been released.
Peter Obi lambasts Tinubu's govt
Obi, in a statement on Monday, called the decision unlawful and a blatant disregard for judicial authority.
“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,” Obi said.
He further accused the government of setting a “dangerous precedent” by ignoring a binding court ruling.
“The Supreme Court had explicitly barred the CBN and 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 concerns and questions about what is happening in Rivers State,” he stated.
READ ALSO: Rivers: History of state of emergency declarations in Nigeria since 1999
Obi warned that the continued disregard for the rule of law could erode the country’s democracy, emphasising the need for leaders to uphold judicial decisions.
“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,” he concluded.
The situation in Rivers State remains tense as legal experts and political observers debate the implications of the federal government's actions.