The Rivers State House of Assembly has indefinitely adjourned its sittings, a decision reached during plenary on Friday.
The move comes just hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara notified the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, of his intention to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill for consideration and approval.
In a letter dated March 13, Governor Fubara expressed his readiness to present the budget on Wednesday, March 19, or any other day in March deemed suitable by the Assembly. The governor cited compliance with a Supreme Court judgment and the lawmakers’ request for him to re-present the budget as reasons for his decision.
“I intend to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, or any other day within March that the House may deem fit,” Fubara stated in the letter addressed to Speaker Amaewhule.
The adjournment follows a tense episode earlier this year when Fubara and his entourage were denied access to the Assembly Quarters, where lawmakers were temporarily sitting, to present the budget. The governor described the experience as “bitter” and emphasized his commitment to resolving the impasse.
Speaker Amaewhule, presiding over the plenary, announced the indefinite adjournment without providing specific reasons for the decision.
The development has sparked speculation about the underlying tensions between the executive and legislative arms of the state government.
More details are expected as the situation unfolds.