The minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of concentrating on his second-term ambition to the detriment of presenting the state’s 2025 budget.
During a media chat in Abuja on Wednesday, the minister said Mr Fubara failed to submit the state’s budget to the state House of Assembly.
Mr Wike said, “The governor has yet to submit his budget to the House of Assembly, but he is busy pursuing his second term ambition.”
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He, however, noted that the delay in presenting the 2025 budget could affect governance in the state.
Messrs Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads over the past year, with a majority of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly being loyal to the FCT minister.
In December 2024, Mr Fubara presented a N1.1 trillion 2025 budget proposal to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led faction of the assembly, loyal to him.
However, on February 28, 2026, the Supreme Court affirmed a Federal High Court judgment barring the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing statutory allocations to Rivers State.
It also directed the CBN to withhold the state’s allocations until the governor presents the appropriation bill to the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the assembly, loyal to Mr Wike.
Following the judgment and subsequent intervention by President Bola Tinubu, Mr Fubara wrote to the Amaewhule-led Assembly requesting a new date for the presentation of the 2025 budget.
In a letter dated March 13, 2026, signed by the governor, Mr Fubara proposed a date in March for the presentation.
However, on the scheduled day, Mr Fubara and members of his cabinet were denied access into the House of Assembly.
While Mr Fubara maintained that his action was in compliance with the Supreme Court judgement mandating him to present the budget to the assembly, the state House of Assembly accused the governor of insincerity in carrying out the Supreme Court judgement.
The lawmakers said they had not received any correspondence from Mr Fubara, and further asked him to present the 2025 budget afresh.
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