A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, the state House of Assembly, and other parties involved in a suit filed by the 18 suspended local council chairmen to maintain the status quo.

The ruling was delivered yesterday by Justice Emeka Nwite after a motion ex-parte was filed by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Anderson Asemota.

Asemota had told the court that the council chairmen were suspended by the Edo State House of Assembly, and the resolution was sent to Governor Okpebholo for approval.

He argued that the motion sought an order for all parties in the case to maintain the situation as it was on December 15, 2024, referencing a Supreme Court ruling in July 2024 which had declared that governors do not have the authority to suspend elected local government chairmen.

According to Asemota, the suspension resulted from a dispute between the chairmen and the governor over the operation of a joint account, which the Supreme Court had ruled against.

He further argued that the plaintiffs had approached the court to resolve the matter legally rather than resorting to self-help.

In his submission, Asemota requested the court to maintain the status quo from December 15, 2024, and to prevent the governor from enforcing the House of Assembly’s suspension resolution.

He emphasized the urgency of the matter, pointing out that the suspension order was made on December 17, 2024.

The lawyer also presented evidence from the Supreme Court’s judgment, an order from the Edo State High Court, and comments from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, regarding the suspension.

Justice Nwite, after considering the motion and the evidence, stated that extreme caution was necessary in granting such reliefs.

He ruled that the parties should maintain the status quo until the substantive motion is heard and determined.

The court ordered that the parties refrain from making any changes to the current situation.

Meanwhile, a rights group, the Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Edo State, has condemned the suspension of the council chairmen by the Edo State House of Assembly.

The group, led by spokesperson Ogbidi Emmanuel, described the action as a violation of democratic principles.

They argued that the suspension and impeachment did not follow proper legislative procedures and were unfounded in the history of democracy.

The group made these remarks during a press briefing held to address the recent developments in the state.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West), has announced that January 31 is the tentative date for the passage of the N49.7 trillion budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

Senator Adeola shared this information during a meeting with the chairpersons of various Senate standing committees in Abuja.

He explained that the date is set for the laying of the final reports on the budget before both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had presented the N49.7 trillion Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2024, urging lawmakers to expedite the process.

The bill has already passed the second reading in both chambers of the National Assembly.

Senator Adeola acknowledged that the timeline for consideration and passage of the budget is tight but emphasized the need to make the best efforts.

He also confirmed that budget defense by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will begin today, January 7, and that reports from various Senate committees will be submitted between January 15 and 18.

“After that, the Appropriations Committee will collate and finalize the reports, with the hope of laying the final budget report before the Senate on January 31,” said Senator Adeola.

“However, this date is provisional and meant to guide our work.”

Similarly, the House of Representatives will begin its budget defense session with MDAs today.

Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, also addressed the media following an inaugural meeting with House committee chairs on Monday.

He stated that the House aims to harmonize reports from the budget defense by January 22, with the final report expected to be presented to the House on January 31.

A high court in Port Harcourt has ruled that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, can continue conducting official business with the three lawmakers at the state house of assembly who have not vacated their seats.

The ruling, delivered on December 20, 2024, by Justice Sika Aprioku, dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Registered Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners.

The suit had sought to compel Governor Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget to the faction of the state assembly led by Martins Amaewhule.

The claimants argued that the failure to re-submit the budget to the Amaewhule-led faction was impeding the proper functioning of the state government.

However, during the court proceedings, the defense team, led by Lawrence Oko-Jaja, referenced a past instance when only six members of the Rivers state house of assembly conducted official business under former Governor Nyesom Wike between 2015 and 2017.

Oko-Jaja highlighted that, despite the smaller number, the assembly successfully passed the 2017 appropriation bill and confirmed appointments during that period.

The judge agreed with the defense’s arguments, stating that Governor Fubara was constitutionally entitled to work with the current members of the assembly, who have not vacated their seats following the defection of 27 lawmakers.

The court ruled that the 2024 budget should not be re-presented to the defected lawmakers, who had automatically vacated their seats, and affirmed that Fubara could proceed with important duties such as appointing judges, screening commissioners, and making board appointments with the remaining members.

“The claimant’s request for a declaratory and injunctive relief to represent the 2024 budget to the former 27 lawmakers lacks merit and is dismissed,” the court ruled, awarding N500,000 in costs to the defendants.

Meanwhile, Governor Fubara signed the N1.18 trillion appropriation bill into law at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

In December 2023, he had presented the budget to a five-member faction led by Edison Ehie.

Since then, the Rivers State House of Assembly has been divided due to the ongoing feud between Fubara and Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In October 2023, the majority pro-Wike faction led by Martins Amaewhule took over the leadership of the assembly.

Fubara’s refusal to re-present the budget has led to further legal battles, including a previous judgment from a federal high court in Abuja, which ordered Fubara to present the budget to a legally constituted assembly.

In a separate case, the Amaewhule-led faction sought an injunction preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial institutions from complying with Fubara’s financial instructions.

In October, a federal high court in Abuja ruled in favor of the injunction, stating that no funds should be released to the state until the budget was presented to a validly constituted assembly.

However, in December 2024, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned this decision, allowing the state government to access its financial allocations.