Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara wa been barred from accessing the State House of Assembly complex on Wednesday, preventing him from presenting the 2025 budget.
The governor had scheduled to lay the budget before the Assembly led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, following a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the suspension of federal allocations to the state until the budget is properly presented and approved.
However, upon arriving at the Assembly complex, Fubara was locked out, preventing him from fulfilling his constitutional duty.
It is understood that the denial of access was due to a lack of official communication between the Governor and the Assembly, whose members are largely loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike.
The lawmakers have been holding legislative sessions at the Legislative Quarters in Port Harcourt since December 13, 2023, after the state government demolished the Assembly Complex in the heat of the political crisis between Fubara and Wike’s camp.
Governor Fubara Speaks Out
Addressing journalists outside the premises, Fubara insisted that his attempt to present the budget was in the best interest of Rivers residents.
“I had earlier written to the Speaker and tried to reach him over the phone before deciding to come in person,” Fubara said.
Despite his efforts, the Assembly doors remained shut, heightening political tensions in the state.
The Rivers budget stalemate continues, raising concerns over governance, state funding, and development projects as the standoff between the Governor and Wike’s loyalists intensifies.
