The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing critique of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of abandoning the core responsibilities of governance in favour of an early pursuit of a second-term mandate.
Speaking during a monthly media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister expressed grave concern over the protracted failure of the Governor to formally present the State’s 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly. Wike warned that this legislative stalemate threatens to paralyse government operations and jeopardise the delivery of essential public services to the residents of Rivers State.
“The Governor is yet to submit his budget to the House of Assembly, but he is busy pursuing his second-term ambition,” the Minister remarked.
The Minister further alleged that Governor Fubara has reneged on agreements reached during a high-level intervention brokered by President Bola Tinubu. According to Wike, the Governor had previously committed to a peaceful resolution, including a purported withdrawal from future electoral contests, in exchange for the cessation of impeachment proceedings.
“President Tinubu intervened… and the Governor said, ‘I’m ready for peace. I’m no longer interested in contesting for governor.’ Now, having withdrawn the impeachment, you’re playing smart on what you agreed before the President,” Wike asserted.
The dispute is the latest escalation in a bitter political rift that has fractured the Rivers State House of Assembly into two rival factions. The crisis reached a critical juncture following a Supreme Court ruling on 28 February, which upheld a Federal High Court judgment barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing statutory allocations to the state.
The apex court mandated that such funds remain withheld until the Governor presents the 2025 budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led faction, which is recognised as the legitimate body aligned with the Minister.
In an attempt to resolve the fiscal deadlock, Governor Fubara reportedly wrote to the Amaewhule-led faction on 13 March, proposing a date for the budget presentation. However, a scheduled appearance at the Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt ended in a standoff when the Governor and his cabinet members were reportedly denied access to the premises.
While the Governor maintains that his actions demonstrate full compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive, the Amaewhule-led Assembly has dismissed these claims as “insincere.” In a statement issued on Sunday, the lawmakers alleged they had received no formal correspondence from the Governor and insisted that the N1.1 trillion budget previously presented to a rival faction led by Victor Oko-Jumbo must be presented afresh to their chamber.
As the legal and political tug-of-war continues, the financial stability of the oil-rich state remains in the balance, with both factions entrenched in a battle for constitutional legitimacy.
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