Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is about to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
The group’s Speaker, Oko-Jumbo, read Governor Fubara’s letter requesting permission to present the appropriation bill today, at their plenary a moment ago.
This will mark Governor Fubara’s second budget presentation since assuming office in May 2023, both occurring under a cloud of legislative disputes.
Last year, Governor Fubara presented his inaugural budget to a four-member Assembly led by Edison Ehie, who was recognized as Speaker by a State High Court.
This followed the defection of 27 Assembly members, including then-Speaker Martin Amaewhule, from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amid legal battles and political intervention, including input from President Bola Tinubu, Ehie eventually resigned from the Assembly and was subsequently appointed Chief of Staff to the Government House.
The crisis deepened as the three remaining members of the House after Ehie’s exit maintained their legitimacy, citing Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which they argued is self-executing in cases of defection without a crisis in the parent party.
The trio, consisting of Oko-Jumbo (Bonny Constituency as, Speaker), Adolphus Timothy (Opobo/Nkoro Constituency as Deputy Speaker), and Sokari Goodboy (Ahoada West as Leader of the House), assumed the Assembly’s leadership.
They have consistently carried out legislative functions, often in alignment with the Fubara-led administration.
Meanwhile, the 27 defected members have since reversed their decision and continue to attend functions as PDP members and hold sessions under Martin Amaewhule’s leadership, frequently opposing the government’s policies.
As part of the twist in Rivers State’s ongoing political and legislative crisis, both the Federal High Court and the Appeal Court nullified the N800Bn 2024 Appropriation Bill of the state, halting its implementation.
A Federal High Court also halted the disbursement of Federal Allocation to the State, but that decision was overturned by the Appeal Court.
Judicial pronouncements regarding the disputes over the 2024 budget presentation have also affirmed Amaehule’s leadership.
However, the Oko-Jumbo-led House maintains that no clear ruling has been made concerning the defection of Amaehule and 26 others.
