Nigeria’s Coalition of Opposition Lawmakers has raised concerns over an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a faction backing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to secure a court injunction halting the monthly statutory allocations to Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers State.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, warned that any attempt to block the release of funds could destabilize governance and trigger a crisis in the state.
Ugochinyere claimed that credible information from reliable sources revealed that the group, working with anti-democratic forces, has initiated a legal process at the Federal High Court to obtain an injunction to stop monthly allocations to the LGAs in Rivers State.
“The APC and Pro-Wike group are filing a suit at the Federal High Court to block the statutory allocation to all LGAs in Rivers State,” Ugochinyere said on Tuesday.
“This is despite the fact that no court in Nigeria has declared the elections of the LGA chairmen invalid. They are determined to halt the constitutional flow of funds to an arm of government.”
He explained that the group’s actions stem from dissatisfaction with the outcome of the recently concluded Rivers State LGA elections, which were conducted in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling mandating the polls.
Ugochinyere alleged that the pro-Wike faction had initially tried to prevent the elections, aiming to plunge the state into chaos for political gain.
The opposition lawmaker further disclosed that intelligence reports suggest the pro-Wike group is confident the case will be assigned to judges known for issuing swift ex parte orders favorable to Wike’s camp.
“This is their second attempt to create constitutional disorder,” Ugochinyere added. “They already have a pending case seeking to seize the entire Rivers allocation.
Now, they are using the Wike faction in APC to file another suit targeting the Federal Account Allocation Committee, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Attorneys-General of the Federation and Rivers State, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.”
Ugochinyere emphasized that LGA allocations are constitutionally mandated funds belonging to a sovereign arm of government, warning that any attempt to hijack them would be resisted.
He urged Wike’s camp to accept the election results and abandon any plans to disrupt governance in the state.
He also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent elements within the APC from leading the country toward anarchy.
“The people of Rivers State have democratically elected their council chairmen and councillors in line with the Supreme Court’s directives,” Ugochinyere said.
“Any attempt to reverse democracy in Rivers will be strongly resisted by the people.”
He warned against the judiciary entertaining frivolous requests from Wike’s faction, stressing the need to protect the institution’s integrity.
“I hope this case doesn’t end up in the hands of those who grant ex parte orders in seconds for the pro-Wike group,” Ugochinyere added.
“The judiciary must reject any desperate moves to undermine its credibility and protect democracy in Rivers State.”
The coalition reiterated that it is monitoring the situation closely and vowed to alert the public if necessary.
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