Pro-Wike Lawmakers Resume Sitting At Rivers Assembly After Shutting Out Governor Fubara From Presenting 2025 Budget
A video seen by SaharaReporters showed the lawmakers already seated inside the chamber while Speaker Martin Amaewhule and other officials carrying the mace made their way into the hall
The Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday resumed plenary amid reports that lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, blocked Governor Siminalayi Fubara from presenting the 2025 budget.
A video seen by SaharaReporters showed the lawmakers already seated inside the chamber while Speaker Martin Amaewhule and other officials carrying the mace made their way into the hall.
The development follows an earlier dramatic standoff at the Assembly complex, where Fubara accused the legislators of locking the gates to prevent him from presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
SaharaReporters had reported that the governor, who arrived at the Assembly complex early in the morning, expressed frustration over the situation.
He stated that he had made multiple attempts to reach Speaker Amaewhule and other lawmakers before his arrival.
“I have made several attempts—by phone calls and through official letters—to reach the speaker and other members. But it is unfortunate that the gate is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today,” Fubara had said.
He added that the budget presentation was crucial for the state’s development, warning that failure to pass the appropriation bill would disrupt governance and slow ongoing projects.
A video of the incident, shared by a Facebook user, Prince Yemi Itodo, showed the Assembly complex under lock and key, with security operatives reportedly ordered to vacate the premises.
“The implication is that the state will be run without a budget, which will slow development and lead to financial irregularities,” he wrote.
The blockade is the latest escalation in the ongoing political battle between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, whose loyalists dominate the Assembly.
The crisis has also drawn the attention of President Bola Tinubu, who recently urged both sides to implement a Supreme Court-backed political agreement aimed at resolving the dispute.
Despite Tinubu’s intervention and Fubara’s call for dialogue, Wednesday’s sitting suggests the battle for control of the Rivers State government is far from over.
