Rivers political crisis heightens as Fugbara presents 2025 budget to a three-man House
Photo Credit: Google
Rivers State’s political war seems unending as Governor Siminalayi Fugbara presents the 2025 budget to three members of the House of Assembly out of the 30 lawmakers that constituted a proper House.
READ MORE: Burna Boy vs Cubana Chiefpriest:Real cause of fight,other things to know
Celebrity socialite, Cash Madam is dead…here’s what to know
According to BusinessDay, the Rivers State N1.188trn 2025 budget has been presented and signed by Gov. Fubara, but the storm over it seems to have only begun.
Critics have condemned the governor’s act and said it’s a breach of legal process.
What to know about the crisis
The Rivers State House of Assembly has 30 legal members. Last year, 27 members of the house led by Martins Amaewhule made a declaration of defect to PDP in support of their chair leader, former governor Nyesome Wike. While 3 members led by Victor Oko-Jumbo stayed back in loyalty to the governor.
Since then, Governor Fugbara has ceased to recognise the 27 default lawmakers as part of the Assembly he should work with.
In January 2024, when Governor Fugbara first presented his budget, a ruling by the justice, James Omotosho, rejected the approval by the three-man house and mandated that budgets should be presented to the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly, which is duly recognised by law.
On Thursday, January 2025, Governor Fugbara was granted permission to move on with the budget by a River State high court.
The case argued that the same way his excellency Ezenwo Nyesom Wike presented budgets and financial bills with only six members when the numbers were less than two-thirds (2/3) of the 32 members, so shall his excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, be constitutionally guided to interface and approach the properly constituted House of Assembly led by Oko-Jumbo to carry on the business of the state until the 27 lawmakers who defected and lost their seats approach the court for a redemption or INEC conducts another election to the seats vacated by the 27 lawmakers upon their defection.
The court upheld this injunction and granted Fugbara the right to appropriate the bill.
However, critics like Tony Okocha said, “It is unimaginable and unthinkable that a governor with such a rich background in finance and governance would choose to sidestep legal processes.
He argued that Fugbara did not uphold the constitution and condemned his leadership style.
Also, PDP Chieftain Mr. Deyemi says Fugbara’s action is an aberration of the rule of law and an action that still reaffirmed the crisis the state is in.
Meanwhile, Governor Fugbara has insisted that there is only one House of Assembly in Rivers State. He stated that it’s the Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly that’s valid and legal for his government.
