The Rivers House of Assembly has adjourned its sittings indefinitely amid the 2025 Budget presentation drama.
The assembly resolved to adjourn the legislative sitting indefinitely during plenary on Friday, the Punch reported.
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The Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, presided over the plenary in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The Amaewhule-led assembly comprises 27 lawmakers, all of whom are loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers.
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Messrs Wike and Fubara have been locked in a protracted fight over the control of the political structures in Rivers State, which initially split the assembly into two factions.
2025 Budget presentation drama
The lawmakers’ indefinite adjournment of the sittings came hours after the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, wrote to the speaker, Mr Amaewhule, over the 2025 Budget.
In a letter dated 13 March, the governor informed the speaker that he intends to visit the House to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill for consideration and approval.
He told the speaker that he intended to present the budget on Wednesday, 19 March 2025, or any other day within the month of March that the House may deem fit.
Mr Fubara said his decision to re-present the budget to the lawmakers was to comply with the Supreme Court judgment, which ordered that the budget be presented to a properly constituted assembly.
The latest adjournment appears to be an effort to prevent the governor from presenting the budget to the assembly.
Denial of access
Before the adjournment, Governor Fubara and his entourage were denied access to the assembly quarters on Wednesday.
A video clip circulating on Facebook showed that when Mr Fubara and his entourage arrived at the entrance of the assembly quarters, the gates were locked.
“Before my arrival here, I made several attempts to speak to the Speaker. I also sent a letter which was transmitted for this particular invitation.
“Unfortunately, at the gate, you can see that the place is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today,” he told reporters at the gate.
Background
Messrs Fubara and Wike have been in a political face-off over the control of political structure in the south-southern state.
The face-off split members of the state assembly into two factions – 27 lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike and three to Mr Fubara.
Both factions held parallel plenaries.
Following the demolition of the assembly complex, the pro-Wike lawmakers moved their sitting to a different venue, while those loyal to Mr Fubara moved to a building at Government House.
Mr Fubara had been forwarding all executive communications, including bills and nominees for appointments, to the three-member faction for consideration and approval.
But in February, the Supreme Court restored Mr Amaewhule’s position as the speaker, reinstated the others as legitimate members of the assembly, and nullified the local election organised by Mr Fubara’s administration.
The lawmakers subsequently gave the governor 48 hours to re-present the budget.
The governor had vowed to implement the order of the Supreme Court despite disagreeing with the verdict.
Meanwhile, on 7 March, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, wrote the lawmakers, inviting them to a meeting with Mr Fubara to discuss a befitting space for the assembly’s sittings, payment of outstanding remuneration and allowances for the lawmakers, and budget presentation.
But the lawmakers declined the invitation.
