Wike Slams Fubara Over Budget Delay, Accuses Him of Prioritising 2027 Ambition

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara

Wike Slams Fubara Over Budget Delay, Accuses Him of Prioritising 2027 Ambition

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sharply criticised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara over what he described as the neglect of governance and an excessive focus on political positioning ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike, speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, accused the governor of failing to properly discharge his constitutional duty by delaying the presentation of the state’s appropriation bill while allegedly concentrating on his second-term ambition.

“The governor is yet to submit his budget to the House of Assembly, but he is busy pursuing his second-term ambition,” Wike said.

He warned that continued delay in presenting the budget could cripple governance in Rivers State, stall development projects, and affect the delivery of essential public services.

The exchange is the latest escalation in the prolonged political conflict between Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which has split the Rivers State House of Assembly into rival factions and created parallel legislative alignments.

At the centre of the crisis is a struggle for control of the legislative arm, with one faction led by Martin Amaewhule and aligned with Wike, and another group previously recognised under Victor Oko-Jumbo, which has been sympathetic to Fubara.

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In December 2024, Fubara presented a ₦1.1 trillion 2025 budget proposal to the Oko-Jumbo-led faction. However, legal and political disputes over the legitimacy of both factions have since complicated budget implementation and governance processes in the state.

The crisis escalated further following a Supreme Court judgment delivered in February 2025, which affirmed earlier Federal High Court orders restricting access to Rivers State’s federal allocations. The apex court directed the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to withhold statutory allocations to Rivers State until due constitutional processes are followed, particularly the presentation of the budget before the properly recognised House of Assembly leadership.

Following the ruling and intervention efforts by President Bola Tinubu, Governor Fubara wrote to the Amaewhule-led Assembly seeking a new date for the presentation of the 2025 budget. In a letter dated March 13, he requested a convenient sitting date to comply with the court directive.

However, tensions persisted when Fubara arrived at the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt with members of his cabinet but was reportedly denied access, despite claims that prior communication had been made.

The Rivers State House of Assembly, aligned with the Wike-backed faction, later insisted that the governor had not fully complied with the Supreme Court judgment. Lawmakers subsequently directed him to re-present the 2025 budget properly before the recognised Assembly leadership.

They also accused Fubara of inconsistency in handling correspondence regarding the budget presentation, deepening the mistrust between both arms of government.

The ongoing standoff has intensified concerns over governance paralysis in Rivers State, with analysts warning that the feud between Wike and Fubara could further destabilise administrative functions if unresolved. Observers say the crisis reflects a broader struggle for political control in the state ahead of the 2027 election cycle, with both camps accused of positioning themselves for long-term influence.

Despite reconciliation efforts reportedly initiated at the federal level, the dispute continues to shape legislative activity, budget implementation, and political alignment within Rivers State.