Atiku Reacts as Court stops CBN From Releasing allocation to Rivers: "Warning Was Ignored"

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering public affairs and governance.

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FCT, Abuja - The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned the judiciary against setting Rivers state on fire.

Atiku's warning comes in the wake of the judgment on Wednesday, October 30, wherein a federal high court in Abuja ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to halt all payments to the state.

In a statement on Wednesday, October 30, by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, the former vice president said it was appalling that some elements allegedly loyal to the federal government were pulling the strings from behind. The statement was sent to Legit.ng.

Atiku wondered why Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order "when it was public knowledge that Rivers state had already challenged the court of appeal’s judgment on the legality of Rivers state’s 2024 budget".

He said:

“Last week the court of appeal declared that the Rivers state budget was illegal because it was passed by an inchoate assembly. The court ordered Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the budget afresh.

“The Rivers state government has already filed a notice of appeal so that the Supreme Court can hear the matter. However, some elements in the Bola Tinubu administration have procured a judgement intended to undermine the Supreme Court.

“Even before the judgment was delivered, legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN) had alerted the chief justice of the federal high court, Justice John Tsoho, of possible compromise after house gifts had been presented to judges in Abuja. Sadly, Falana’s warning was ignored.”