Governor Siminalayi Fubara has dismissed the 48-hour deadline issued by the Rivers State House of Assembly demanding the presentation of the 2025 budget.
The Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had insisted that Fubara submit the budget titled “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development” within two days.
This directive directly opposed the ₦1.1 trillion budget that Fubara had already signed into law on January 2, 2025, following its approval by the now-defunct Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
In response, the Rivers State government released a statement on Wednesday through the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Dr. Tammy Wenike Danagogo, categorically rejecting the Assembly’s demand.
According to the statement, as of the close of business on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, neither the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, nor the Accountant-General had received any formal communication from the Assembly regarding the ultimatum.
The government noted that the only place they had encountered the letter was on social media.
Governor Fubara reiterated his commitment to upholding the rule of law, referencing his March 2, 2025, public address in which he assured Rivers residents that he would respect the Supreme Court’s rulings, regardless of his personal stance on the matter.
This development comes in the wake of a February 28, 2025, Supreme Court judgment that reinstated 27 lawmakers who had defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
These lawmakers, known for their allegiance to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have been in a prolonged political tussle with Governor Fubara.
The court ruling also invalidated the October 2024 local government elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and ordered a freeze on the state’s federal allocations until a new budget is passed by the lawmakers.
