Gov Sim Fubara of Rivers State has denied being at loggerheads again with members of the state’s House of Assembly as being the reason for the silence over the state’s stalled 2026 budget.
This is as anxiety and uproar have continued to grow over the stalled N1.85trn budget submitted almost one month ago. The governor has been in bouts of crisis a few months after taking over in 2023.
The governor said there have been newspaper reports of disagreement between him and the Nyesom Wike-backed members of the House.
A statement issued by Onwuka Nzeshi, Chief Press Secretary to Gov Sim Wednesday night said the attention of the Rivers State Government was drawn to a news item published in some national dailies and online platforms insinuating that there was a disagreement between the Executive and Legislative arms of the Rivers State Government over the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
‘We wish to make it abundantly clear that His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, is not at loggerheads with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, but rather working closely with them to serve the good people of Rivers State.’
The statement said the 2026 Budget proposal which was presented to the House of Assembly weeks back, was going through the normal legislative process. ‘We strongly believe that once the process is completed, it will be passed by the lawmakers.’
The statement went to emotions, saying: ‘The Rivers State Government has gone through difficult times in the past and is not prepared to be dragged into another round of controversies. We therefore advise all those bent on promoting negative narratives to desist from such actions forthwith as we need peace and harmony to ensure steady development of Rivers State.’
The tradition in the eight years preceding the present administration is that the budget was sometimes passed hours after its presentation to the House of Assembly. This time around, the Rivers State budget travelled round the state looking for those to pass it, till State of Emergency was proclaimed in the state. The National Assembly had to take over lawmaking for the state, thus, the 2025/26 budget was enacted for the state from Abuja.
Now, one month ago, Fubara crafted another budget after he said he had returned to his political family, making the world believe that peace or political harmony has returned to the state. Many expected a quick passage of the budget so spending can begin in the face of near-collapse of governance.
Refuse dump everywhere in the state as well as non-issuance of land papers (certificates of occupancy) seem to ground the state to a standstill as businesses are wailing.
Some claim without proof that the lawyers collected N2bn each for the budget.
One of those leading the uproar is Chetam T Nwala, one of Fubara’s fiercest backers who said he has resigned to fate. The man known in the social media space as the ‘Certified Courtist’ is a popular activist Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner and human rights lawyer.
Nwala is thus asking what is still holding or stopping the lawmakers from passing the budget. In a video he sent out Thursday, August 13, 2026, Nwala accused the lawmakers of holding the state to ransom by sitting on the budget silently without saying what the matter was.
Some other activists accuse the Lawmakers of holding Fubara hostage but some others said it was Gov Fubara that must be holding himself hostage. They say it was wrong for the governor to surrender the fight and return to the Wike Rainbow Coalition.
Some say it is wrong for the governor to blame news reports about the 2026 budget, saying it is the government that is rather blocking development, not innocent news reports and ordinary members of the public.