The 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the 2025 budget has signalled a fresh showdown between the governor and the lawmakers.
Also, Governor Fubara has waved off the lawmaker’s opposition to his directive for outgoing local government chairmen to hand over to Heads of Local Government Administration.
The governor has, however, told his supporters, especially youths, to remain unperturbed, adding that the time had come for Rivers people to take their destinies in their hands.
The latest confrontation comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s February 28, 2025, ruling, which reinstated the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
In the ruling, the apex court also ordered the seizure of the state allocation and nullified the October 2024 local government poll conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
At their first sitting since the ruling, the pro-Wike legislators demanded that Fubara present the 2025 budget, titled, ‘Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,’ within 48 hours.
The demand directly challenged the N1.1 trillion budget Fubara had signed into law on January 2, 2025, following its passage by the now-defunct Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly.
The Supreme Court’s ruling ended months of leadership tussle in the state House of Assembly, with both factions previously laying claim to legitimacy.
However, the reinstated lawmakers wasted no time in asserting their authority, insisting that Fubara’s budget must be formally presented in line with constitutional provisions.
Amaewhule also criticised Fubara’s directive on local government administration, arguing that the Supreme Court had expressly ruled against non-elected officials administering councils.
The resolution of the Assembly lawmakers, sitting at the official legislative quarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, on Monday, followed a motion by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol.
In his summation during plenary, Amaewhule kicked against Fubara’s directive for the LG chairmen to hand over to the heads of council administration, saying it was against the ruling of the Supreme Court.
“It is actually in flagrant disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court last year, particularly that judgment in SC/CV/343/2024 where the Supreme Court specifically said that Heads of Local Government cannot administer local government.
“Only elected officials are permitted by the constitution, by the judgment of the Supreme Court and of course the Rivers State Local Government Amended Law 2023, to administer our local government,” he asserted.
He also spoke on conducting the LG election in the state.
“Honourable members, you know that the Electoral Act amended by the National Assembly has made some adjustments to matters concerning elections and our LG Law and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law which says how local government elections should be conducted in Rivers State definitely needs amendment, so that these two laws can now conform with the Electoral Act.
“These will be a prerequisite to any plan to conduct further local government elections in Rivers State. Once this House is done with this process of amending these two laws, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission can, on the basis of the new law, commence preparations for fresh local government elections,” Amaewhule pointed out.
The government had earlier said it expected the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment by March 7, following which it would issue its positions on the apex court verdicts.
But the lawmakers, on Monday, resolved “That the House would proceed on a 12-week recess as from Friday 7th March 2025, but standing committees would be expected to continue statutory functions.
“Please be informed that our resolutions are geared towards a quick fix to the current financial quagmire occasioned by the absence of an Appropriation Law for Rivers State. We do not want the Rivers State people to suffer. We, therefore, urge you to act fast and do the needful in the best interest of the good people of Rivers State.”
The assembly then addressed its resolutions to the governor, with copies sent to the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu; the state Accountant-General and the RSIEC chairman.
Fubara, however, remained defiant, asserting that his administration would not be coerced into actions that contradicted legal interpretations.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Rivers State Government House Staff Quarters in Port Harcourt, Fubara reassured his supporters that governance in the state would continue despite the political turbulence.
The staff quarters located along Forces Avenue (opposite Government House) in Old GRA, Port Harcourt, were reconstructed by the administration.
Fubara said he had never subscribed to violence or asked the people to indulge in lawless acts, but warned that his administration would not look away when haters of the state struggled to unleash violence in the state.
He said, “No matter how we’ve been fooled in this state, it has gotten to a point when the people have to decide to take their destinies into their hands. Since I don’t subscribe to violence when the time comes for us to make a decision, I will lead the course for that decision.
“Let me say it again: I am not scared of anything. The worst that will happen is for me to leave the office. Am I leaving the earth? Is it going to stop me from existing? So, I am not even bothered about that. But the right thing must be done and must be said when the opportunity is given to us.
“Let me thank everyone, especially our youths. Be strong, don’t be perturbed. I assure you, at the right time, you will hear from us.”
He added that despite the unceasing antagonism against his administration, the course of governance was irreversible, as he assured his supporters of victory.
The governor noted how the news of the judgment of the Supreme Court dampened the spirit of Rivers people and charged them to brace up for what was ahead.
He said as humans, they may have felt disturbed by the apex court’s pronouncements but advised them to realise that God had their back.
“I want to thank you for your support and assure you that, if there is one person on this planet Earth that will continue to stand by you, I will be that person.
“I assure you that I will lead you with honour, I will lead you with respect, and I will lead you with integrity, knowing that when I leave here, I will have questions to answer if I am called upon 20 to 30 years from today.
“I want to be proud to defend my position. So, I thank you and assure you that I will not disappoint you,” he assured.
The governor expressed delight that his administration was foresighted to have conceived the project, executed it and, by the special grace of God, dedicated it to the glory of God for the use by the workers.
He stated that what had been achieved: the staff quarters and other projects lined up for inauguration were proof against what had been said in some quarters that there was no good governance in the state.
“When we came on board, this building was a dilapidated building, completely uninhabitable. We felt we must add value to what we met, and we decided that, look, our staff can’t be living in an uncomfortable place, they can’t live like animals while I live in a comfortable place.
“How would I get efficiency from my workers if they are not happy? That’s why the government decided to embark on this project. I am happy that the contractor delivered it within the time limit,” he said.
Fubara thanked the elders of the state who had continued to provide support and stand with his administration.
He assured them that he would not disappoint their expectation of providing good governance to the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, countered the stand of the lawmakers on the budget presentation.
Speaking on the 48-hour directive by the pro-Wike lawmakers to present the budget, Johnson said the government had yet to receive the CTC of the Supreme Court judgment, insisting that the state would act accordingly when received.
He described the language of the Amaewhule-led Assembly as undemocratic and disrespectful to the governor.
He faulted the lawmakers for ordering the governor to submit the budget within 48 hours.
“The issue of saying the governor has been ordered sounds too military. It is not a democratic language. Nobody orders anybody. By Friday, we will get the judgment, look at it and I will personally call the media to say this is what we have and this is what we are going to do. It is enough to say Au revoir,” he added.
Also, he said Fubara had shown good faith by directing the sacked LG chairmen to hand over to the HLGAs in the 23 LGs.
“I insist that we can only do as much as we can on that judgment when we receive the CTC.
“But to show good faith, the governor has even gone ahead to direct the LG chairmen to hand over to the Heads of Local Government Administration in their councils.
“And they (outgoing chairman) are handing over already. It will sound disrespectful to say the governor will do this. I’m not the governor. I’m just the commissioner for information. Let us wait, Friday is just here,” he said.
Speaking on the council administration, Johnson said, “If there is no democratically elected official, shouldn’t the councils administer themselves? When you remove a commissioner, for instance, I’m the commissioner for information, if I’m removed, the next person to take over is the Permanent Secretary; true or false? So I leave that to the court of public opinion,” he said.
