JUST IN: APPEAL COURT AFFIRMS JUDGEMENT NULLIFYING PASSAGE OF RIVERS 2024 BUDGET

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Justice James Omotosho’s January 22 decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the passage of Rivers State’s N800 billion 2024 budget by four House of Assembly members.A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Joseph Oyewole, ruled on Thursday that the River State Governor’s appeal against the January 22 judgement was meritless.Justice Oyewole, who authored and read the lead judgement, found that after failing to challenge the case in the trial court and withdrawing all of the procedures (papers) filed against the complaint, he cannot now seek to appeal the judgement.He ruled that by dropping all previous processes filed against the claim before the trial court, he admitted to all of the allegations levelled against him and all of the facts alleged by the plaintiffs.In the January 22 judgement, Justice Omotosho termed the passing of the Rivers State’s 2024 Appropriation Bill by the five lawmakers led by Ehie Edison as an aberration and illegality.He then directed Governor Fubara to propose the budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly. ( Hotgist)