Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, don assure di pipo for di oil-rich state say im government go obey di Supreme Court ruling well-well after dem don check di Certified True Copy (CTC). Dis one follow di Supreme Court ruling wey dem give on Friday wey cancel di local government election wey happun for di state on October 5, 2024.
For im state broadcast on Sunday, Fubara talk say e don consult im legal team, and dem dey expect to get di CTC by Friday, March 7, 2025. E still talk say im government go continue to dey follow constitutional principles and do everything according to law.
As Supreme Court don give di ruling, di governor don direct make di Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) take over di 23 local government councils for Rivers State sharp-sharp. Di court ruling don cancel di October 5, 2023, local government elections, so na why dem need dis interim arrangement.
Read Full Speech of Fubara Broadcast Below:
State Broadcast by Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, on Sunday, March 2, 2025, on di Supreme Court Judgment
- My pipo for Rivers State, we all sabi di recent Supreme Court judgments and di tok-tok wey dem make about di political mata wey don dey drag for our state.
- Even though we no agree with di judgment, we be law-abiding government, so we go obey di order wey dem give.
- Since we enter office, we don dey run government based on our Constitution, due process, and rule of law.
- We be human beings, so e fit be say we make mistake, but as government, we no deliberately wan break di law or disobey di constitution.
- Because of dis, I don meet with my team of lawyers, and dem don tell me say di Certified True Copy of di judgment fit dey ready by Friday, 7th March 2025.
- I dey assure una say once we get di Certified True Copy, we go study am well and implement am without wahala to make Rivers State move forward.
- Plus, since court don ban caretaker arrangement for local government system, I dey direct make Heads of Local Government Administration take over di 23 local government councils until Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission do fresh election.
- I still direct make di outgoing local government chairmen hand over power to di Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, 3rd March 2025.
- Even though di state dey face plenty wahala now, I wan beg everybody make dem stay calm and go about their normal work. We go continue to do our work to make life better for di people.
- Thank you, and may God bless Rivers State.
Fubara talk say di HLGAs, wey be civil servants, go manage di councils until dem fit do new election. Im still tell di outgoing local government chairmen make dem hand over everything to di HLGAs by Monday (tomorrow). As di political tension dey rise, di governor beg di pipo make dem no panic, say im government still dey focus on governance and law.
For another related ruling, di Supreme Court don stop Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Accountant General of di Federation, and other government agencies from giving Rivers State government money. Di court talk say di state government never show say dem dey obey court order, so dem no fit collect any money until dem comply.
Di judgment wey Justice Emmanuel Akomaye give, get support from di five-member panel wey dey di court. Di court still reject di cross-appeal wey Governor Fubara file to challenge di legitimacy of Rivers State House of Assembly wey Speaker Martin Amaewhule dey lead. Di court talk say Amaewhule and di other elected members for di assembly must resume their legislative work immediately.
Governor Fubara government now get two big wahala—dem must follow Supreme Court order and still make sure say Rivers State remain stable and peaceful.
