Following a fresh effort by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to present the 2025 budget in line with Supreme Court directives, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has adjourned its plenary indefinitely.

The decision was taken during a plenary session held at the assembly quarters in Port-Harcourt on Friday.

The move comes just 24 hours after Fubara wrote to the Assembly, requesting a new date for the presentation of the 2025 appropriation bill.

It would be recalled that, in a personally signed letter dated March 13, Fubara proposed Wednesday or any other convenient date in March for the budget presentation.

Fubara said the letter was the second notice of budget presentation sent to the lawmakers.

The governor stated that his actions comply with the Supreme Court judgment of February 28, which ordered the presentation of the budget to the Assembly.

SaharaReporters reported earlier today that Fubara wrote a fresh letter to the State House of Assembly, seeking to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill after being denied access during his initial attempt.

In the letter, dated March 13 and addressed to Speaker Martin Amaewhule, Fubara proposed presenting the budget on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 11am or on any other suitable date within the month.

The governor had reminded the Assembly of the events of March 12, when he and his entourage were locked out of the legislative complex despite prior notice of his visit.

He had urged the lawmakers to put the interests of the state above political differences.

“You may recall my failed visit to the Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday, 12th March 2025, for the presentation of the 2025 Rivers State Budget in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” Fubara wrote.

SaharaReporters also reported days earlier that a dramatic scene unfolded at the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex on Wednesday, as Governor Fubara was reportedly locked out upon arrival.

It was revealed that security personnel at the complex shut the gates as the governor’s convoy approached, citing a lack of official communication between the governor and the Assembly leadership.

However, Fubara maintained that he had formally informed Speaker Amaewhule of his visit through a letter and had also attempted to reach him via phone since Tuesday.

The development comes amid heightened political tension following Fubara’s decision to fully implement the February 28, 2025, Supreme Court ruling.

As part of this, he directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to outline modalities for fresh local government elections, now scheduled for August 9, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, in a letter dated March 7, 2025, had requested a meeting with lawmakers on March 10 to discuss the re-presentation of the 2025 budget and initiate a peace dialogue.

The incident at the Assembly complex adds to the growing political uncertainty in the state as stakeholders await further developments.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu asked leaders of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) to ensure that Governor Fubara complies with the Supreme Court ruling on the political crisis in the state.

Tinubu made the remarks on Tuesday evening during a closed-door meeting with PANDEF leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“I got your signal and I got your concerns, particularly concerning Rivers State. I have been on it for quite some time. I foresaw this crisis long before I stepped in. We reached an agreement — a written agreement — which both parties signed,” Tinubu had said.

“It is sad we find ourselves in this situation today. This is a nation with a rule of law. I should not be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria if there is no rule of law.”

“I have total confidence in our judiciary. Now, the Supreme Court has spoken—that is it. Please go back home and help him (Governor Fubara) to implement those recommendations within the shortest possible time,” he added.

The president also revealed that he had intervened in the crisis both privately and publicly, offering counsel to Fubara on the best way forward.

The crisis in Rivers State has intensified, pitting Governor Fubara against his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The dispute stems from a deepening power struggle between the governor and the State House of Assembly, which remains largely loyal to Wike.

Tensions escalated when the Assembly attempted to impeach Fubara late last year, prompting a series of interventions from the presidency.

Ijaw groups, who see Fubara as their representative, have warned against any move to unseat him, with some even threatening armed resistance.

This has fuelled fears of further instability in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

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