Rivers Assembly Faction Suspends Plenary Indefinitely Amid Political Turmoil
The faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule has indefinitely adjourned its plenary, deepening the ongoing political crisis in the state.
The decision, announced during a session at the assembly quarters in Port Harcourt on Friday, comes just a day after Governor Siminalayi Fubara formally requested a new date to present the 2025 appropriation bill.
In a letter dated March 13 and personally signed by the governor, Fubara proposed Wednesday or any other convenient date in March for the budget presentation. He noted that this was his second request, stressing that his actions align with the Supreme Court ruling of February 28, which mandated the presentation of the budget to the assembly.
However, tensions flared earlier this week when Fubara and his commissioners were blocked from entering the assembly quarters to present the budget. The move followed the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on the political standoff between the governor and Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The battle for control of Rivers’ political structure has fractured the state assembly, with the Amaewhule-led faction aligning with Wike and the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led faction remaining loyal to Fubara.
In December 2024, the governor had presented a ₦1.1 trillion budget proposal to the Oko-Jumbo-led assembly, despite opposition from Wike’s camp. The dispute escalated further when the Supreme Court upheld a Federal High Court ruling preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing Rivers’ monthly allocations until Fubara submits the budget to the Wike-aligned lawmakers.
With the assembly now at a standstill, the political deadlock raises concerns about governance in Rivers State, as critical financial decisions hang in the balance. As the crisis unfolds, all eyes remain on the next move by the governor, the lawmakers, and the judiciary.
