Femi Falana Commends Court of Appeal for Strengthening Federalism Principles

Femi Falana, SAN, a prominent human rights lawyer, has applauded the Court of Appeal's recent judgment that overturned orders preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation from disbursing funds to the Rivers State government.

Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today on Friday, Falana praised the ruling as a reinforcement of the federalism principles enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution. He also commended a prior decision by the same court that upheld the legitimacy of local government elections conducted by the Rivers State Electoral Commission.

“These two decisions are in line with the tenets of federalism outlined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Falana stated.

He highlighted the key implications of the rulings:

• Jurisdictional Limits: The Court of Appeal emphasized that federal agencies or officers joined in cases related to state affairs do not automatically confer jurisdiction on the Federal High Court.
• Support for State Autonomy: The judgment reinforces the authority of state governments in matters such as local elections and revenue allocations, strengthening the country’s federal structure.

Falana argued that cases involving state income and local government administration should rightly fall under the jurisdiction of State High Courts, not Federal High Courts.

The case in question revolved around earlier orders by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, which barred the release of Rivers State’s statutory allocation. However, the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Hamman Barka, ruled on Friday that the Federal High Court had overstepped its bounds. The appellate court declared the previous orders unconstitutional and granted the Rivers State government’s appeal.

Falana expressed optimism that these decisions would bolster Nigeria's federalist framework, ensuring that states maintain control over internal affairs without undue interference from federal institutions.