| By Adejumo Adekunle –
A coalition of opposition lawmakers has sounded the alarm over an alleged scheme by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, aimed at blocking the monthly Local Government allocations for Rivers State through a court injunction or ruling.
Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, spokesperson for the coalition and representative of the Ideato South/North Federal Constituency in Imo State, raised this concern in a statement.
Ugochinyere revealed that the opposition had obtained credible information indicating that the APC and Pro-Wike group, along with certain anti-democratic forces, have filed legal motions at the Federal High Court, seeking to halt the constitutional allocation of funds to Rivers State’s local governments.
He stated, “As we speak, the APC and Pro-Wike group are pushing for a court order to freeze the statutory allocation of all Rivers State Local Government Areas, despite the fact that no court has invalidated the election of LGA chairmen. This move is aimed at disrupting the constitutional mandate of these funds.”
This legal action marks the second such attempt by the Pro-Wike faction to undermine the distribution of Rivers’ LGA funds. Ugochinyere stressed that the group is pursuing another suit aimed at stopping the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee and other governmental bodies from releasing LGA funds to Rivers State.
The lawmaker believes that the Wike group is still bitter over the outcome of the recent Rivers LGA election, which complied with a Supreme Court judgment. He warned that intelligence reports suggest Pro-Wike supporters are confident that judges known for issuing swift ex-parte orders will handle the case in their favor.
Ugochinyere called on President Bola Tinubu to step in, warning that allowing such actions could destabilize democracy in Rivers and tarnish the country’s political stability. He added that the opposition is keeping a close watch and will not hesitate to alert the public if necessary.
He further emphasized that the LGA allocation is a constitutionally protected fund, and no group should be allowed to hijack it, urging the Wike camp to abandon their plans and accept the outcome of the LGA elections.
