Fubara won’t re-present budget before pro-Wike lawmakers — Coalition

The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State has intensified as opposition lawmakers declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara will not present the state budget before assembly members loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, whom they claim are no longer constitutionally recognised.

In a statement issued by the opposition coalition’s spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the group dismissed the recent declaration of seats as vacant by pro-Wike lawmakers, labelling it “political stupidity.”

Ugochinyere further said that Governor Fubara has no obligation to re-present the budget to the ousted assembly members, describing their actions as illegitimate.

“There will be no representation of Rivers State budget by Governor Fubara before sacked lawmakers who are unknown to the constitution,” Ugochinyere said.

The opposition coalition argued that the dismissed lawmakers, who are aligned with Wike—now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—have lost their legal authority after defecting from the party under which they were elected.

Ugochinyere explained that their decamping renders their seats automatically vacant, making their recent attempts to declare other members’ seats vacant meaningless.

He ridiculed the lawmakers for trying to return to their seats despite their open defection, which was confirmed through sworn affidavits and live broadcast footage.

“These are people who constitution has declared their seats vacant, it’s automatic. You left a party on which you were elected because your godfather wanted you to decamp so that you could attempt to impeach Governor Fubara.

“Now that you’re lost in the middle of the Atlantic, you want to run back again and say you didn’t decamp??? When you made an affidavit, oath that’s on record, live transmission of your cross carpeting etc. Then suddenly because you think Nigeria is a country where all sorts of iniquity can happen you’re running from one court to another so you can be declared a lawmaker when you’re not a lawmaker. That issue has been resolved as far as I’m concerned.”

Ugochinyere also dismissed the notion that Governor Fubara would re-present the 2024 budget, saying it has already been largely implemented.

“Oko Jumbo remains speaker, Governor Fubara is not going to represent any budget, the budget he has finished implementing. Budget implementation is at 80 per cent now, he should come and tell you people the achievements he has recorded. Represent a budget to people who are not lawmakers??? Before those whose seats have been declared vacant by the constitution?”

He further expressed frustration at the ongoing controversy, referring to the sacked lawmakers’ demands as mere distractions, saying “I’m bored replying to some of this noise coming from them.”