Rivers crisis: Fubara’s aide cites budget dispute as impeachment looms

By : Olayide Soaga

Date: 16 January 2026 4:43pm WAT

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Fubara

Fubara

The Special Assistant on Political Affairs to the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, Darlington Orji, has cited Fubara’s refusal to present a supplementary budget as the crux of the political crisis rocking the state.

Rivers State has been gripped by a political crisis since early 2025, which culminated in President Bola Tinubu declaring a state of emergency and suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Although Fubara was later reinstated, the crisis has persisted, with the latest development being a vow by members of the State House of Assembly to impeach the governor and his deputy.

While speaking to Arise News, Fubara’s aide revealed that the recent political crisis in the state stems from the governor’s refusal to present a supplementary budget to the assembly.

“You see, when I tell people that they are playing to the gallery. The major problem in Rivers State is that the governor refused to present a supplementary budget. Now recall it’s on public notice that he himself said when we came back on board he has about 600 billion naira in the coffers of Rivers State government. That was what the Governor said by himself,” said Orji.

According to the aide, Fubara met with the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, Major Jack, and three other lawmakers. Orji said the meeting, held in November, was where Amaewhule suggested that Fubara present a supplementary budget, but the governor asked him to be patient.

“The interest of Rivers State House of Assembly was not captured. And the governor said we are in November. If the interest of Rivers State House of Assembly was not captured, me too, I did not make any input. Let us wait. December is around the corner, 2025, when I will present the appropriation bill.

“Every other interests that were not captured would have been captured. There’s no need. The year has already ended. You must present a budget and government says I don’t have a need for supplementary budget,” Orji added.

On January 8, lawmakers moved to serve a notice of gross misconduct and initiate the process. Four lawmakers who had initially supported the move had sought a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The lawmakers, however, made a U-turn on Friday and backed other members of the house on Friday.

Amaewhule called on the Chief Judge of Rivers State to immediately set up a seven-member committee to begin impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy on Friday.

While weighing in on the Rivers political crisis, a former Rivers lawmaker, Ogbonna Nwuke, opined that the ongoing impeachment process in Rivers State reflects political disagreement rather than offences.

According to him, members of the assembly threaten to impeach Fubara whenever there is a disagreement or perceived disagreement between the governor and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Some experts and political stakeholders in the state, like Nwuke, have described the feud between Wike and Fubara as a power struggle over control of the state’s political machinery and influence. The duo’s relationship, which began as a mentor-protégé pairing after Wike backed Fubara’s 2023 governorship bid, later soured over political appointments.

“We know that the house has constitutional backing to engage in the impeachment of a governor. In this instance, the governor and his deputy are tied to the same impeachment. Quite a lot of people asked what the deputy governor did.

“That means what we see and what we hear is a product of some political disagreement, and this is the third time that the house will threaten impeachment, meaning that anytime there is a disagreement or perceived disagreement between the governor and the minister (Wike), then the house led by Amaehwule will threaten impeachment. This is the point,” said Nwuke.

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