The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has suggested that the Federal Government could release withheld monthly allocations to Rivers State, now under the administration of Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd.).
Speaking to journalists at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, Fagbemi stated that the exceptional circumstances in Rivers warranted a reconsideration of the fund restriction imposed by the Supreme Court.
“An extraordinary situation has emerged in Rivers State. If the administrator requests these funds, their release would be justified, as the prevailing conditions have altered the normal course of governance,” he said.
On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court had barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation from disbursing funds to the Siminalayi Fubara-led government, citing non-compliance with court orders.
However, the political crisis escalated when President Bola Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly members for six months. Justifying the move under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu argued that decisive action was necessary to contain the turmoil.
The federal intervention has been widely criticised by opposition leaders, legal experts, and civil society groups, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
Conversely, the pro-Nyesom Wike faction of the suspended Rivers Assembly has welcomed the emergency rule, accusing Fubara of ignoring the Supreme Court’s directives and escalating the crisis.
