Politics
Rivers budget: Fubara’s supporters ready for showdown in fresh clash with Assembly
He, however, told his supporters, especially youths, to remain unperturbed, adding that the time had come for Rivers people to take their destinies in their hands.
The latest confrontation comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s February 28, 2025, ruling, which reinstated the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The apex court also ordered the seizure of the state allocation and nullified the October 2024 local government poll conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
At their first sitting since the ruling, the pro-Wike legislators demanded that Fubara present the 2025 budget, titled, ‘Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,’ within 48 hours.
The demand directly challenged the N1.1tn budget Fubara had signed into law on January 2, 2025, following its passage by the now-defunct Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly.
The Supreme Court’s ruling ended months of leadership tussle in the state House of Assembly, with both factions previously laying claim to legitimacy.
However, the reinstated lawmakers wasted no time in asserting their authority, insisting that Fubara’s budget must be formally presented in line with constitutional provisions.
Amaewhule also criticised Fubara’s directive on local government administration, arguing that the Supreme Court had expressly ruled against non-elected officials administering councils.
The resolution of the Assembly lawmakers, sitting at the official legislative quarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, on Monday, followed a motion by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol.
In his summation during plenary, Amaewhule kicked against Fubara’s directive for the LG chairmen to hand over to the heads of council administration, saying it was against the ruling of the Supreme Court.
“It is actually in flagrant disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court last year, particularly that judgment in SC/CV/343/2024 where the Supreme Court specifically said that Heads of Local Government cannot administer local government.
“Only elected officials are permitted by the constitution, by the judgment of the Supreme Court and of course the Rivers State Local Government Amended Law 2023, to administer our local government,” he asserted.
He also spoke on conducting the LG election in the state.
“Honourable members, you know that the Electoral Act amended by the National Assembly has made some adjustments to matters concerning elections and our LG Law and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law which says how local government elections should be conducted in Rivers State definitely needs amendment, so that these two laws can now conform with the Electoral Act.
“These will be a prerequisite to any plan to conduct further local government elections in Rivers State. Once this House is done with this process of amending these two laws, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission can, on the basis of the new law, commence preparations for fresh local government elections,” Amaewhule pointed out.
The assembly also announced that the lawmakers would proceed on a 12-week recess from Friday, March 7, but standing committees would be expected to continue statutory functions.
The government had earlier said it expected the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment by March 7, following which it would issue its positions on the apex court verdicts.
But the lawmakers, on Monday, resolved “That the House would proceed on a 12-week recess as from Friday 7th March 2025, but standing committees would be expected to continue statutory functions.
“Please be informed that our resolutions are geared towards a quick fix to the current financial quagmire occasioned by the absence of an Appropriation Law for Rivers State. We do not want the Rivers State people to suffer. We, therefore, urge you to act fast and do the needful in the best interest of the good people of Rivers State.”
The assembly then addressed its resolutions to the governor, with copies sent to the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu; the state Accountant-General and the RSIEC chairman.
Fubara, however, remained defiant, asserting that his administration would not be coerced into actions that contradicted legal interpretations.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Rivers State Government House Staff Quarters in Port Harcourt, Fubara reassured his supporters that governance in the state would continue despite the political turbulence.
The staff quarters located along Forces Avenue (opposite Government House) in Old GRA, Port Harcourt, were reconstructed by the administration.
Fubara said he had never subscribed to violence or asked the people to indulge in lawless acts, but warned that his administration would not look away when haters of the state struggled to unleash violence in the state.
He said, “No matter how we’ve been fooled in this state, it has gotten to a point when the people have to decide to take their destinies into their hands. Since I don’t subscribe to violence when the time comes for us to make a decision, I will lead the course for that decision.
“Let me say it again: I am not scared of anything. The worst that will happen is for me to leave the office. Am I leaving the earth? Is it going to stop me from existing? So, I am not even bothered about that. But the right thing must be done and must be said when the opportunity is given to us.
“Let me thank everyone, especially our youths. Be strong, don’t be perturbed. I assure you, at the right time, you will hear from us.”
He added that despite the unceasing antagonism against his administration, the course of governance was irreversible, as he assured his supporters of victory.
The governor noted how the news of the judgment of the Supreme Court dampened the spirit of Rivers people and charged them to brace up for what was ahead.
He said as humans, they may have felt disturbed by the apex court’s pronouncements but advised them to realise that God had their back.
“I want to thank you for your support and assure you that, if there is one person on this planet Earth that will continue to stand by you, I will be that person.
“I assure you that I will lead you with honour, I will lead you with respect, and I will lead you with integrity, knowing that when I leave here, I will have questions to answer if I am called upon 20 to 30 years from today.
“I want to be proud to defend my position. So, I thank you and assure you that I will not disappoint you,” he assured.
The governor expressed delight that his administration was foresighted to have conceived the project, executed it and, by the special grace of God, dedicated it to the glory of God for the use by the workers.
“When we came on board, this building was a dilapidated building, completely uninhabitable. We felt we must add value to what we met, and we decided that, look, our staff can’t be living in an uncomfortable place, they can’t live like animals while I live in a comfortable place.
“How would I get efficiency from my workers if they are not happy? That’s why the government decided to embark on this project. I am happy that the contractor delivered it within the time limit,” he said.
Fubara thanked the elders of the state who had continued to provide support and stand with his administration.
He assured them that he would not disappoint their expectation of providing good governance to the state.
Govt defends decisions
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, speaking on Monday, countered the stand of the lawmakers on the budget presentation.
Speaking on the 48-hour directive by the pro-Wike lawmakers to present the budget, Johnson said the government had yet to receive the CTC of the Supreme Court judgment, insisting that the state would act accordingly when received.
He described the language of the Amaewhule-led Assembly as undemocratic and disrespectful to the governor.
He said Fubara had shown good faith by directing the sacked LG chairmen to hand over to the HLGAs in the 23 LGs.
“I insist that we can only do as much as we can on that judgment when we receive the CTC.
“But to show good faith, the governor has even gone ahead to direct the LG chairmen to hand over to the Heads of Local Government Administration in their councils.
“And they (outgoing chairman) are handing over already. It will sound disrespectful to say the governor will do this. I’m not the governor. I’m just the commissioner for information. Let us wait, Friday is just here,” he said.
He faulted the lawmakers for ordering the governor to submit the budget within 48 hours.
“The issue of saying the governor has been ordered sounds too military. It is not a democratic language. Nobody orders anybody. By Friday, we will get the judgment, look at it and I will personally call the media to say this is what we have and this is what we are going to do. It is enough to say Au revoir,” he added.
Speaking on the council administration, Johnson said, “If there is no democratically elected official, shouldn’t the councils administer themselves? When you remove a commissioner, for instance, I’m the commissioner for information, if I’m removed, the next person to take over is the Permanent Secretary; true or false? So I leave that to the court of public opinion,” he said.
In the now-controversial post shared on his social media page, Osborne wrote: “In a sane clime president Bola Ahmed Tinubu would’ve respectfully and honourably resigned. I’m of APC but truth be told.”
The comment quickly generated reactions online before the Akwa Ibom State Government moved to terminate his appointment.
In a letter dated June 2, 2026, the Office of the Political Adviser to the Governor announced his immediate disengagement.
The termination letter, signed by the Political Adviser to the Governor, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh, stated that Osborne Ubong Okon had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.Politics
According to the letter, the decision was taken over actions the office described as disloyal.
“You are hereby relieved of your engagement as a Media Aide to the Political Adviser to His Excellency the Governor, with immediate effect and from today, 2nd June 2026,” the memo read.
The letter further cited “actions bordering on disloyalty” and the need to keep the office “purified” as reasons for the dismissal.
The office also issued a warning to members of the public and government officials regarding future dealings with the former aide.
“Any person having dealings with the above-mentioned former Media Aide in relation to this office of his former engagement does so on his/her own peril,” the statement added.
The development has sparked fresh conversations about the limits of political expression for government appointees and the expectations of loyalty within public service, particularly when comments are directed at the presidency.
Neither Osborne nor the Presidency had publicly responded to the development as of the time of filing this report.
The decision was taken during plenary on Tuesday at the Assembly complex in Dutse, the state capital, as the party continues to deal with the fallout from recent primaries.
The action comes amid a wave of suspensions across Jigawa APC following the recently conducted primary election.
Several special advisers and special assistants have already been suspended statewide over alleged anti-party activities from state level down to local government level.
Maigari, who doubles as the councillor representing Auyo Ward, was suspended after the House considered a motion by the Majority Leader, Lawan Dansure.
The motion sought disciplinary action against the lawmaker for conduct deemed harmful to party cohesion.
Moving the motion during the Assembly’s plenary session on Tuesday, Dansure urged members to support the suspension.
He said the House must act to protect the integrity of the ruling party ahead of 2027.
According to him, the actions of the Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council are detrimental to the unity, stability, and progress of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
“His actions are detrimental to the unity, stability, and progress of the All Progressives Congress,” Dansure told the House.
He argued that anti-party conduct at the grassroots level could undermine APC’s performance in future elections.
He said the House could not fold its arms while party discipline was being tested.
“Hon. Haruna Maigari is hereby suspended as Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council over alleged anti-party activities,” Dangyatin announced during plenary.
The Speaker also said the House remains committed to party discipline at all levels of governance in the state.
Dangyatin then constituted an investigative committee to look into the matter and report back within two weeks.
“The committee is expected to establish facts and recommend further action based on its findings,” he said.
The Speaker also directed the suspended lawmaker to hand over all official documents in his possession to the Deputy Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council.
He said the handover must be done immediately to ensure continuity of council business.
Meanwhile, the House also received a formal notification from Governor Umar Namadi regarding an official trip.
“The governor is billed to attend a two-day West African Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, Ghana,” the Speaker said during the plenary session of the Assembly.
Dangyatin, who explained that the governor’s foreign engagement will hold between June 2 and June 3, 2026, added that “the governor’s participation is aimed at attracting investment to Jigawa’s rice value chain.”
By Chinedu Sabastine
Mr. Samson Chukwu Nnamani has declared that he remains the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 election.
Nnamani made this known on Friday during a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Enugu.
Reacting to allegations that he was suspended from the party before the PDP governorship primary election, Nnamani dismissed the claim, questioning how a supposedly suspended aspirant could participate in the exercise and secure votes.
“The purported claim that I was suspended is very funny. If I was suspended as they claim, how can they attribute votes for me during their kangaroo primary,” Nnamani questioned.
Represented by his Media Director, Dr. Buchi Nnaji, the PDP chieftain said his authenticity derives from the present recognition of the Abdulrahman-led faction of the PDP by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of which he is a member.
The clarification followed the emergence of multiple claimants to the PDP governorship ticket in Enugu State.
Nnamani insisted that the party was no longer factionalised following INEC’s recognition of the Abdulrahman-led PDP leadership, noting that the panel which declared him winner where sent from their headquaters, Abuja.
Nnamani expressed gratitude to PDP leaders and supporters whom he said turned out massively on Sunday, May 24, 2026, to elect him as the party’s governorship candidate.
He pledged to reposition Enugu State through infrastructure development, job creation and people-oriented policies.
“As the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Enugu State, I remain committed to the ideals of good governance, inclusive leadership, economic development, youth empowerment, quality education, improved healthcare and enhanced security for all residents,” he said.
He added that his aspiration was to build “a greater Enugu State where opportunities abound for every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, religion or social status.”
According to him, his administration would prioritise infrastructure development, industrialisation, support for small businesses and welfare programmes aimed at improving the lives of the people.
“We shall also review and remove policies and practices that are truncating the wellbeing, economic survival and social advancement of the citizens,” he stated.
Nnamani further called on stakeholders, party faithful, youths, women, traditional rulers and the people of Enugu State to join hands in building “a united, peaceful and progressive state.”
“Together, we can achieve the Enugu of our dreams,” he added.
The Presidency has reacted following the circulation of an alleged WhatsApp voice note in which President Bola Tinubu reportedly claims he begged opposition figure Peter Obi to step down ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The reaction came on Wednesday from Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President.
Onanuga condemned the audio file, labeling it a fabrication and called for legal action against popular social media critic VeryDarkMan who shared it.
“This VDM needs to face the weight of the law for being the conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio of President Tinubu. This is a clear case of an egregious abuse of the social media platform.,” Onanuga tweeted.
In the viral video, VeryDarkMan used the alleged leaked audio to urge Nigerians to vote against President Tinubu’s reelection bid in the upcoming 2027 polls.
Recall that just days ago, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, President Tinubu secured the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a landslide nationwide direct primary election.
During that contest, Tinubu faced a lone challenger, Edo State businessman and APC chieftain Stanley Osifo. The President won with 10,999,162 votes from the 12,643,306 registered party members, while Osifo secured 16,503 votes.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 election, is widely expected to fly the flag for the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Both Obi and Tinubu hail from the southern region of Nigeria and are set to face last year’s runner-up, Atiku Abubakar, who is expected to lead the ticket for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyichukwuma Odii, has accused Governor Francis Nwifuru of running the state like a personal family business.
Odii made the remark shortly after emerging as the PDP governorship candidate for the 2027 election following the party’s primary election conducted across the 13 local government areas of the state.
Speaking to party supporters in Abakaliki, Odii said the 2027 election would be about rescuing Ebonyi from poor governance and restoring economic growth and public welfare.
“Ebonyi can never be consumed. Ebonyi can never be conquered. Ebonyi can never become a personal family business, and we are here for the rescue of our dear state,” he stated.
The PDP flag bearer pledged to improve the welfare of civil servants and teachers while promising policies aimed at reviving the state’s economy.
Odii also dismissed fears over political opposition ahead of the election, insisting that his focus remained the development and progress of Ebonyi State.
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