Fubara, Rivers Lawmakers Clash Over N1.85tn 2026 Budget

The delay in passing the N1.854tn 2026 Appropriation Bill of Rivers State has been linked to fresh disagreements and unfulfilled agreements between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.

Fubara presented the budget, tagged the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” to the lawmakers on July 10, 2026, seeking legislative approval for the state’s spending plan.

However, one month after its presentation, the budget is yet to be passed into law, raising concerns among residents and stakeholders over the impact of the delay on governance and project execution.

The delay is particularly significant because the budget was presented late against the backdrop of the prolonged political crisis that had disrupted governance in the state.

Although the Speaker of the House expressed concern over the late presentation and assured that the lawmakers would give the proposal the necessary attention, there has been little public information on the progress of the budget, including details of budget defence and legislative scrutiny.

Investigations indicate that fresh agreements reportedly reached between Fubara and the lawmakers before the budget was presented are at the centre of the impasse.

A source within the Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor had reached an understanding with the lawmakers as part of efforts to resolve the political crisis and secure their cooperation for the presentation of the budget.

“To resolve the lingering political crisis, the governor met with the lawmakers on his 2026 appropriation bill. They had an agreement, and the deal paved the way for the lawmakers to allow the governor to present his appropriation bill,” the source said.

According to the source, however, Fubara had yet to fully meet his obligations under the agreement, allegedly choosing to fulfil some of them gradually.

The source said some of the agreements involved lawmakers’ benefits, entitlements and constituency projects.

“The House of Assembly does not trust the governor because of a series of broken promises and unfulfilled agreements. So, in any new agreement, they want the governor to satisfy his own side of the bargain first,” the source added.

The source maintained that the lawmakers believed the commitments were legitimate and expected the governor to fulfil them before the budget was passed.

The development has also drawn attention to the proposed N41.4bn allocation to the Rivers State House of Assembly. While some stakeholders and residents have criticised the amount as excessive, others have defended it, arguing that adequate funding is necessary for the legislature to discharge its constitutional responsibilities.

Speaking during a special media chat in Port Harcourt last Tuesday, former Rivers State governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, also suggested that unresolved commitments were responsible for the delay.

Wike alleged that Fubara had failed to honour about 90 per cent of the agreements reached with the lawmakers and other members of what he described as “the family.”

He specifically accused the governor of failing to release funds to the State House of Assembly Service Commission and alleged that other commitments, including the provision of official vehicles, had not been fulfilled.

Wike, however, expressed confidence that the budget would eventually be passed and forwarded to the governor for assent.

The delay has reportedly affected some projects across the state, with investigations indicating that some projects, including the multi-billion-naira Ring Road, are either progressing slowly or have not been executed as expected due to the absence of appropriated funds.

Meanwhile, stakeholders have urged both the executive and legislative arms of government to resolve their differences and ensure the budget is passed without further delay.

The Convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebogidi, called for greater transparency on the status of the appropriation bill, stressing that Rivers residents deserved to know why the legislative process had slowed down.

“I think the most important thing at this point is for Rivers people to have clarity on where the 2026 budget currently stands,” Ebogidi said.

He noted that the House had earlier indicated that the bill would receive accelerated consideration because of its late presentation, adding that citizens would therefore expect significant progress by now.

Ebogidi said the concern was not about rushing the legislative process but ensuring that the delay did not further reduce the time available for implementation.

He also acknowledged the political realignments taking place in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections but warned that political developments should not be allowed to undermine governance.

“Those developments are part of politics and should be allowed to take their course. But irrespective of the political arrangements around 2027, the government must continue to function,” he said.

According to him, Rivers residents still have pressing needs, while critical sectors of the state cannot afford to be stalled because of political considerations.

He appealed to the governor and lawmakers to communicate clearly with residents about any issues delaying the budget and demonstrate urgency in resolving them.

Similarly, the National President of the South-South Youths Initiative, Oscar Imeabe, expressed concern that the budget remained pending a month after it was presented.

Imeabe described the budget as the blueprint for development and warned that prolonged delays could affect the execution of roads, schools, hospitals and youth-oriented programmes across the state.

“One month after Governor Fubara presented the 2026 budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly, the budget is still pending,” he said.

“The question Rivers people are asking is simple: Won’t this delay affect governance and the execution of projects across the state?”

He urged the lawmakers to prioritise the passage of the appropriation bill to enable the government to effectively implement its programmes.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him were not answered as of the time of filing the report.

With the political temperature in Rivers State already rising ahead of the 2027 elections, stakeholders fear that continued disagreements between the governor and lawmakers could further affect governance.

For residents who endured nearly two years of political crisis and its consequences, the latest budget impasse has renewed concerns about whether political disputes will once again overshadow the delivery of government services and development projects.