Fresh uncertainty has surfaced in Rivers State over the continued delay in passing the proposed ₦1.854 trillion 2026 budget presented by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
Fubara presented the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development” on July 10, 2026, but the appropriation bill remains before the lawmakers more than a month later without legislative approval.
The delay has renewed concerns about the relationship between the governor and the Assembly, despite the reconciliation efforts that had appeared to ease the prolonged political dispute between the executive and legislature, according to Politics Nigeria.
Fubara’s presentation before the Amaewhule-led Assembly marked his first appearance before the lawmakers since the political confrontation between both sides began in 2023.
The presentation came after the Assembly approved the state’s 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, a process that had itself experienced delays.
Under the proposed budget, total expenditure stands at ₦1.854 trillion, with about ₦413.1 billion allocated to recurrent spending and approximately ₦1.405 trillion set aside for capital expenditure.
The capital spending plan includes funding for infrastructure, education, healthcare, economic development and other government programmes.
However, the appropriation bill has yet to make significant progress despite expectations that the earlier reconciliation between Fubara and the lawmakers would facilitate its passage.
A source familiar with the matter claimed that Fubara held discussions with the lawmakers over the proposed budget and reached agreements with them as part of efforts to resolve outstanding political issues.
“To resolve the lingering political crisis, the governor met with the lawmakers on his 2026 appropriation bill. They had an agreement, and the deal paved the way for the lawmakers to allow the governor to present his appropriation bill,” the source said.
“But the governor has not been able to fulfil the agreements.”
According to the source, some of the unresolved issues relate to the lawmakers’ benefits, entitlements and constituency projects.
“The governor has not done anything for them since assuming office, and I think they expect him to pay most of their outstanding benefits, and he agreed to do so, but hasn’t kept to his promise,” the source alleged.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
The latest development has revived concerns over the durability of the reconciliation between the executive and legislative arms of the Rivers State Government.
The political crisis in Rivers has also remained intertwined with the relationship between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Wike recently commented on the delayed budget passage, suggesting that the reconciliation between the governor and lawmakers had not fully addressed the disagreements between them.
“The issue of budget, I know why you asked because you expected that once the budget is presented today, it will be passed tomorrow,” Wike said.
“Remember it won’t be that easy. But at the end of the day, the budget will be passed.”
The former governor further alleged that Fubara had failed to honour several commitments reportedly reached as part of the reconciliation process.
“I will tell you totally that the governor has failed 90 per cent of what they all agreed on,” he said.
Wike also alleged that the State House of Assembly Service Commission had yet to receive funds and claimed that other benefits covered by the agreements remained unpaid.
Another source attributed the delay largely to a lack of confidence between the lawmakers and the governor.
“The House of Assembly does not trust the governor because of a series of broken promises and unfulfilled agreements,” the source said.
“So, in any new agreement, they want the governor to satisfy his own side of the bargain first.”
The delay comes as the state has a shrinking window to implement programmes and projects contained in the 2026 financial plan.
The governor’s late submission of the budget framework had previously drawn criticism from the Assembly.
In June, Amaewhule criticised Fubara over the delayed presentation of the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, arguing that it ought to have been submitted earlier in line with the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law.
The lawmakers later considered and approved the MTEF, allowing Fubara to proceed with the presentation of the appropriation bill.
Fubara’s appearance before the Assembly was widely viewed as a significant step in the reconciliation process, as it brought the governor and lawmakers together in the same legislative chamber following years of political confrontation.
At the time, the Assembly was holding proceedings in its quarters auditorium after the main legislative complex was damaged.
The budget was eventually presented after the lawmakers passed a motion inviting the governor to address the chamber.
Despite the development, the continued delay in approving the appropriation bill has raised fresh questions about whether political disagreements are still affecting legislative activities in the state.
The situation could also have consequences for development projects across Rivers State.
With the year already more than halfway gone, further delays in passing the budget could shorten the period available for the government to implement its planned projects and programmes.
The proposed capital expenditure of approximately ₦1.405 trillion further underscores the significance of the delay, given the large amount earmarked for infrastructure and other development initiatives.
Allocations to the legislature have also become a subject of discussion. The proposed ₦41.4 billion provision for the Rivers State House of Assembly has generated differing reactions.
While some have questioned the size of the allocation, others maintain that sufficient funding is necessary to enable the legislature to perform its constitutional functions effectively.
Stakeholders have meanwhile called for greater transparency regarding the current status of the appropriation bill.
Convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebogidi, said residents deserved to know the stage the 2026 budget process had reached.
“I think the most important thing at this point is for Rivers people to have clarity on where the 2026 budget currently stands,” he said.
Ebogidi cautioned that continued delays could further reduce the time available for implementing the budget.
“The concern is not about rushing the legislative process, but about ensuring that the process does not lose momentum, particularly because implementation time is already becoming limited,” he said.
He also urged the political actors to keep governance separate from preparations for the 2027 elections.
“Those developments are part of politics and should be allowed to take their course. But irrespective of the political arrangements around 2027, the government must continue to function,” he added.
National President of the South-South Youths Initiative, Oscar Imeabe, similarly expressed concern about the delay.
“Budgets are the blueprint for development. Every day of delay is a day of delayed roads, schools, hospitals, and youth programmes,” he said.
Imeabe called on the lawmakers to consider the appropriation bill without unnecessary delay and ensure that political differences do not continue to impede government operations.
