The Rivers State House of Assembly resumed plenary on Wednesday 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 our correspondent showed the lawmakers seated inside the chamber while Speaker Martin Amaewhule and other officials, carrying the mace, entered the hall.
This development followed an earlier standoff at the Assembly complex, where Fubara accused the legislators of locking the gates to stop him from presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
SaharaReporters had previously reported that the governor, who arrived at the Assembly complex early in the morning, expressed his frustration over the situation.
“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 said.
He emphasized the importance of the budget presentation for the state’s development, warning that a failure to pass the appropriation bill would disrupt governance and slow down ongoing projects.
A video of the incident, shared by a Facebook user, Prince Yemi Itodo, showed the Assembly complex locked, with security operatives reportedly instructed to leave 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 marks the latest escalation in the ongoing political conflict between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, whose loyalists dominate the Assembly.
The crisis has also caught 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 calls for dialogue, Wednesday’s sitting suggests the battle for control of the Rivers State government is far from over.
