- He demanded an immediate reversal of the judgment to mitigate its harmful consequences
Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has criticized the court order blocking financial allocation to Rivers State.
In a post on his X page on Friday, Obi expressed dismay, emphasizing leaders’ duty to prioritize vulnerable Nigerians’ well-being.
The former Anambra governor questioned how pensioners, health workers, teachers, and civil servants can endure extreme hardship and further distress.
“In my political trajectory, I have consistently refrained from name-calling or engaging in personal disputes, choosing instead to focus on issues that directly impact the masses, particularly the suffering poor of Nigeria,” Obi wrote.
“Despite the national attention the Rivers state crisis has gained, I have largely stayed away from matters specific to a state, but a recent court judgment halting allocations to the state—and the resulting consequences—demands attention.”
“This curious decision now calls upon every well-meaning individual Nigerian to appeal for its immediate reversal.”
“Consider the pensioner struggling to survive on a meager income alongside the health workers, school teachers, civil servants, and everyday citizens whose lives are already marked by severe hardship,” he said.
“How much more can they endure?”
“This latest development risks pushing them even further into distress—even into untimely deaths—by compounding the challenges they face.”
Obi stressed that present efforts should lay the foundation for a better Nigeria.
A federal high court in Abuja restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria from disbursing financial allocations to Rivers State government.
Joyce Abdulmalik ruled funds from the federation account should not be released pending passage of a lawful appropriation act.
The suit was filed by Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
Abdulmalik held Governor Siminalayi Fubara erred in presenting the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a “not properly constituted” five-member assembly.