The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, demanding that he present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the lawmakers. The directive was announced during a plenary session held on Monday, March 3, 2025, in the state capital, Port Harcourt.
The ultimatum comes amid a protracted feud between Governor Fubara and a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. This conflict has split the Assembly into two factions: one led by Martin Amaewhule, recognized by Wike’s supporters, and another led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, backed by Fubara. The division stems from a fallout that began in October 2023, when 27 lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting Fubara to declare their seats vacant—a move contested by the defectors and their allies. However a supreme court ruling last week reinstated the house led by Amaewhule.
On December 30, 2024, Governor Fubara presented a N1.188 trillion budget proposal for 2025, titled the “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” to the four-member Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly. The budget, which allocated N462.25 billion for recurrent expenditure and N678.08 billion for capital projects, was swiftly signed into law on January 2, 2025, barely 72 hours after its presentation. However, the Amaewhule-led faction, comprising a majority of the Assembly’s lawmakers, has rejected this process, arguing that it violates legal and constitutional norms.
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During Monday’s plenary, the Amaewhule-led Assembly asserted its authority as the legitimate legislative body, citing a January 2024 ruling by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court. The ruling had mandated that budgets be presented to the Amaewhule-led Assembly, a decision Fubara has consistently disregarded. The lawmakers accused the governor of flouting judicial pronouncements and governance protocols by presenting the 2025 budget to what they describe as an “illegal” three-member Assembly.
The 48-hour deadline, set to expire on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at approximately 12:15 PM WAT, demands that Fubara resubmit the budget to the Amaewhule-led faction for consideration and approval. Failure to comply, the lawmakers warned, could lead to further legal and political repercussions, though specific actions were not outlined during the session.
