Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s N1.854tn 2026 Appropriation Bill has remained before the Rivers State House of Assembly for more than a month, with fresh agreements between the governor and lawmakers reportedly at the centre of the delay.
The budget, tagged the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” was presented by Fubara on July 10, 2026, after months of political tension that had already delayed its submission. Despite assurances from the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly that the proposal would receive attention, there has been little public information on its progress.
Investigations indicate that the governor and lawmakers reached fresh agreements as part of efforts to resolve the political crisis and pave the way for the budget presentation. A source within the Assembly, who spoke anonymously, said the agreements included issues relating to lawmakers’ benefits, entitlements and constituency projects.
The source alleged that Fubara had yet to fulfil several parts of the agreement, resulting in a lack of trust between the executive and legislature. According to the source, lawmakers wanted the governor to meet his obligations before allowing the budget to proceed, arguing that previous agreements had not been honoured.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike also alleged that Fubara had failed to fulfil about 90 per cent of the agreements reached with the lawmakers and what he referred to as “the family.” Wike specifically mentioned funding for the State Assembly Service Commission and the provision of official vehicles, while insisting that the budget would eventually be passed.
The delay has attracted concern because some government projects are reportedly being affected by the absence of an approved 2026 budget. Among them is the multi-billion-naira Ring Road project, which investigations indicated was either moving slowly or not being executed at the expected scale. The proposed N41.4bn allocation to the state House of Assembly has also generated debate among residents and stakeholders.
Calls are now growing for the executive and legislature to provide clarity on the status of the appropriation bill. Obinna Ebogidi, convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, said residents deserved to know why the process had not moved faster, particularly after the Assembly had indicated that the late budget would receive accelerated consideration.
Ebogidi warned that political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections should not interfere with governance, stressing that Rivers residents still had urgent needs requiring government attention. South-South Youths Initiative National President Oscar Imeabe similarly urged the Assembly to prioritise the bill, warning that prolonged delay could affect roads, schools, healthcare, youth programmes and other government projects.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report. With the 2026 financial year already well underway, pressure is mounting on both arms of government to resolve their differences and ensure the budget moves through the legislative process without further delay.
