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ABUJA — The Court docket of Enchantment in Abuja has overturned a Federal Excessive Court docket ruling that sought to grab Rivers State’s statutory allocation from the federation account.
Within the judgment delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, the appellate court docket dominated that the Federal Excessive Court docket lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter. Justice Barka emphasised that merely itemizing federal businesses as events within the case doesn’t mechanically grant jurisdiction to the Federal Excessive Court docket. He additional famous that the problem of appropriation is a state matter and falls exterior the purview of federal jurisdiction.
The Rivers State Authorities’s authorized crew, led by Chris Uche (SAN), efficiently argued that income issues regarding the state shouldn’t be adjudicated by the Federal Excessive Court docket.
Reactions to the Judgment
The decision has been hailed as a victory for constitutional democracy and the precept of federalism. Opposition lawmakers described it as a triumph for the rule of regulation, highlighting the judiciary’s function in safeguarding democratic rules. The coalition additionally criticized makes an attempt to undermine democracy in Rivers State, significantly amid ongoing authorized disputes involving the State Home of Meeting and alleged illegal defections of lawmakers.
Professional-democracy teams, together with the Human Rights Writers Affiliation (HURIWA), Joint Motion for Democracy, and Attorneys in Defence of Democracy, echoed these sentiments, calling the ruling a historic resolution that preserved federalism and constitutional governance.
Key Factors from the Opposition Coalition
In a press release by its spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, the coalition condemned efforts to destabilize Rivers State, describing them as politically motivated. They famous that the judgment reinforces the Supreme Court docket’s place that inside state issues, comparable to appropriation acts, are inside the jurisdiction of state courts and never federal courts.
The coalition argued that the ruling averts potential constitutional crises and ensures that Rivers State can govern with out undue interference, respecting the precept of separation of powers and federalism.
This ruling is seen as a pivotal second in clarifying jurisdictional boundaries between state and federal courts, additional strengthening Nigeria’s democratic establishments.
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