The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, demanding that he present the 2025 budget for legislative consideration.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This directive was announced during a plenary session in Port Harcourt on Monday, following a motion moved by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol.
The resolution, signed by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, referenced a Supreme Court ruling that halted the release of federal allocations to the Rivers State Government and restricted spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State until an appropriation bill is properly passed.
“That pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court in Suit No.: SC/CV/1174/2024 for the stoppage of statutory federal allocations to the Rivers State Government and halting of spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State pending the passage of an Appropriation Bill, you are requested to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended,” the lawmakers declared. “That the House expects you to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours.”
Assembly Condemns Fubara’s Directive on LG Councils
In the same session, Speaker Amaewhule criticized Governor Fubara’s directive instructing Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) to assume leadership of local councils, describing it as illegal and a violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The lawmakers reminded the governor of constitutional provisions and legal precedents prohibiting the administration of local governments by appointed officials rather than democratically elected leaders.
“The provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended; the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Law, 2023, as well as the Judgment of the Supreme Court in Suit No.: SC/CV/343/2024, prohibit the administration of Local Governments by HLGAs or any other persons other than democratically elected officials,” the Assembly stated.
Legislative Recess and Political Uncertainty
The House also announced plans to go on recess by Friday, citing their continuous work over the past two years without a break. Interestingly, no mention was made of the 2024 budget during the plenary session.
Governor Fubara had previously signed the ₦1.1 trillion 2025 budget into law on January 2, 2025, after presenting it to the faction of lawmakers led by Victor Oko-Jumbo. However, the Supreme Court ruling last week restored Speaker Martin Amaewhule and his group as the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
This decision effectively ended months of legislative turmoil, where two rival factions laid claim to the Rivers Assembly.
Supreme Court Ruling and CBN Intervention
Beyond affirming Amaewhule’s leadership, the Supreme Court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold federal allocations to Rivers State until the government complies with court rulings. Additionally, the court nullified the local government elections held last year.
In response to the ruling, Governor Fubara called for fresh local government elections and assured his commitment to obeying the court’s directive.
“Furthermore, given the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission,” Fubara said in a state broadcast on Sunday.
He further instructed outgoing local government chairmen to “formally hand over the levers of power to the Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, March 3, 2025.”
As tensions continue to rise, the next 48 hours will be critical in determining the fate of Rivers State’s governance, as the political crisis between Governor Fubara and the Assembly escalates.
