A Law Professor at Lead City University, Ibadan, Olu Ojedokun, on Wednesday, said the court verdict on the Rivers State Government is tantamount to a state of emergency without a formal declaration.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disbursing further monthly allocations to the Rivers State Government, citing alleged constitutional violations by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

In her ruling on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik found that Governor Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly breached constitutional protocol.

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Justice Abdulmalik said that since January, Rivers State has received and spent allocations based on an “illegitimate” budget, describing the situation as a “constitutional aberration.”

Reacting to the judgment, Professor Ojedokun said: “This, in effect, places the state in an emergency situation—a state of emergency without a formal declaration by the President. This is an extension of the battles and skirmishes between Wike and his ex-protégé. Of course, in this instance, unless a superior court intervenes, the grass will suffer, leading to an implosion.”