Lagos, March 24, 2024 – Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, has condemned the federal government for releasing withheld federal allocations of Rivers State to the new sole administrator of the state.
The Sole Administrator confirmed the release of the funds while speaking to local government workers in Poet Harcourt on Saturday.
Obi said the release of the allocations to the sole administrator, rather than an elected government contravened the judgement of the Supreme Court.
Obi expressed his observation in a statement on his X handled on Monday.
The statement reads in parts: “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.”
