The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has voiced strong criticism against Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of abandoning his governance responsibilities.
During a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike claimed that the governor is more concerned with securing a second term than fulfilling his official duties.
Specifically, the minister pointed out that the state’s budget has not been properly presented to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The governor is yet to submit his budget to the House of Assembly, but he is busy pursuing his second-term ambition,” Wike said.
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He further cautioned that this delay poses a risk to the daily operations of the government and could stop the delivery of vital services to the people of Rivers State.
This latest clash is part of a larger political conflict between the two leaders, which has split the state legislature into two opposing groups.
In late 2024, Fubara had presented a N1.1 trillion budget to a faction loyal to him, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
However, the Supreme Court later intervened, upholding a ruling that blocked the release of federal allocations to the state until a budget is presented to the rival faction led by Martin Amaewhule, who is aligned with Wike.
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In an effort to comply with the court’s order and following peace talks led by President Bola Tinubu, Fubara reached out to the Amaewhule-led group to schedule a new budget presentation.
Despite writing to them and showing up at the Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt with his commissioners on the agreed date, the governor and his team were reportedly barred from entering the premises.
While Fubara insists he is doing everything possible to follow the Supreme Court’s directive, the Amaewhule-led Assembly issued a statement on Sunday accusing the governor of being insincere about his commitment to re-presenting the 2025 budget.
