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A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Collins Ordu, says that the controversy surrounding Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s attempt to present the 2025 budget has been misrepresented.
Speaking on News Central TV’s Breakfast Central on Thursday, Ordu clarified the situation, he emphasising that the location in question is not the Rivers State House of Assembly complex but the assembly quarters, where lawmakers reside. He stated that the governor was not deliberately locked out.
Referencing Fubara’s letter to the assembly dated March 11, 2025, he pointed out that the governor sought to present the budget on March 12.
The assembly spokesperson, however, later clarified that they never received any official correspondence from him.
“If you are able to cite the letter written by the governor, you would recall that the letter bears 11th of March. And yesterday was just 12th of March.
“And the governor had activities yesterday, the day before yesterday, before this letter was written. Let me cut the story short. The house of assembly spokesperson has come up to say that they never received any correspondence from the governor,” he said.
“Even the governor confirmed it while he was at the gate yesterday, that he made attempts to reach them on phone, which didn’t happen,” he added.
The PDP chieftain recalled that in a previous visit to the assembly quarters, Fubara forcefully entered the premises, comparing his actions to a “King Kong manner.” He suggested that the governor’s claims of being locked out were misleading, as proper legislative procedures require the assembly to schedule a date for budget presentations after receiving formal notice.
“So, to say that he was locked out is completely out of it. Recall that this same governor had visited this complex, these assembly quarters before, and then in a King Kong manner, broke the gate and entered there.
“It’s unfortunate that the hands of time have changed now. Therefore, he can now begin to tell people. But I think that the manner in which he wrote the letter and then said he was coming to present the budget, he wrote on the 11th, he said, you’re coming to present the budget on the 12th,” he said.
“I am a former member of the university house of assembly. That’s completely inappropriate. You write to the assembly, and then the assembly will have time to fix for you to come,” he added.
Meanwhile, the political crisis in Rivers State continues, with the Supreme Court recently recognising a 27-member faction loyal to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Fubara’s budget was, however, approved by a four-member faction supporting him, highlighting the ongoing power struggle within the state’s political landscape.
