Rivers State is bracing for another political confrontation, as Governor Siminalayi Fubara has rejected a 48-hour ultimatum from the Rivers State House of Assembly to present the 2025 budget.
This escalation follows the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on February 28, 2025, which reinstated 27 pro-Wike lawmakers and nullified the October 2024 local government election.
The simmering political tension escalated quickly after the Amaewhule-led Assembly, aligned with the former governor, Nyesom Wike, demanded that Fubara present the 2025 “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development” within just 48 hours.
The lawmakers are challenging a budget Fubara had already signed into law in January 2025, which was passed by the now-defunct assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo. The renewed political drama has become a direct challenge to the legitimacy of Fubara’s administration, with the reinstated lawmakers insisting that the budget must be formally presented per constitutional requirements.
As the House of Assembly takes a hard stance, Fubara remains defiant. He dismissed the legislature’s opposition to his directive for outgoing local government chairmen to hand over power to the Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGA).
In a passionate response to his supporters, Fubara urged Rivers people, particularly the youth, to stay calm and remain resolute, asserting that the time had come for them to take control of their own destiny.
This clash comes on the heels of the Supreme Court ruling, which not only reinstated the 27 lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike but also ordered the seizure of state allocations and nullified the controversial October 2024 local government elections.
The Amaewhule-led Assembly, emboldened by this legal victory, wasted no time asserting its authority. They now insist that Fubara’s budget, which had previously been signed into law by the defunct assembly, must be formally presented to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions.
Martin Amaewhule, Speaker of the Assembly, went further, criticizing Fubara’s directive for outgoing local government chairmen to transfer power to the HLGAs.
He pointed out that this action blatantly disregarded a Supreme Court ruling that bars non-elected officials from administering local governments.
Amaewhule argued that only elected officials, as per both the Constitution and the 2023 Local Government Law, are authorized to take charge of local governments.
During the assembly’s sitting in Port Harcourt, Amaewhule outlined the need for amendments to the Rivers State Electoral Law and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) law, to align with the National Electoral Act. He stressed that these changes would form the legal foundation for future local government elections in the state.
Meanwhile, the government has signaled that it will act only once the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court’s judgment is officially received by Friday, March 7, 2025. Joseph Johnson, Commissioner for Information, took a stand against the 48-hour directive, calling it undemocratic and dismissing the language used by the Amaewhule-led Assembly as disrespectful to the governor.
He reaffirmed that Fubara had shown good faith by directing the sacked LG chairmen to hand over to HLGAs while awaiting the official judgment.
Despite the rising tensions, Fubara remains resolute. He assured his supporters that governance would continue smoothly, even amid political challenges. Speaking at the inauguration of the newly reconstructed Rivers State Government House Staff Quarters in Port Harcourt, Fubara emphasized that his administration was undeterred by the ongoing opposition. He urged the youth not to be swayed by the current political turbulence, stating that Rivers people must decide their future without fear.
“No matter the challenges we face, it’s time for the people to take control of their destiny. I am not afraid of what comes next. The right thing must be done, and it will be done,” Fubara declared.
Supporters of the governor have already mobilized in several local government areas of the state, staging peaceful protests and rallies in support of Fubara’s leadership.
Meanwhile, opponents, including supporters of Wike and the reinstated lawmakers, have organized counter-demonstrations, further intensifying the division in the state. The political face-off has sparked a mix of symbolic protests, with rival groups exchanging chants and mocking one another.
As the battle over Rivers’ future intensifies, all eyes are on how Fubara and the Amaewhule-led House will navigate this fresh showdown. With both sides claiming legitimacy, the state’s political landscape remains uncertain, and the coming days promise more twists in this ongoing power struggle.