Pro-Wike lawmakers give Fubara seven-day ultimatum to re-present 2024 budget

The reinstated members of the Rivers House of Assembly have given Governor Siminalayi Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to represent the 2024 budget to them for consideration.

The 27 pro-Wike lawmakers gave the ultimatum at their first sitting after they were reinstated by the Court of Appeal.

With the reinstatement, Rivers now has two houses of assembly, with one group loyal to Mr Fubara, and the other loyal to the former governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, who is the FCT minister.

Both men are locked in a protracted political battle against each other for control of the political structure in Rivers.

Mr Fubara-backed three-member assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo is challenging the appeal court judgment at the Supreme Court.

Martins Amaewhule is the speaker of the other faction.

Both factions held parallel sittings on Monday. While Mr Fubara loyalists sat at Government House, screened and confirmed a commissioner nominee forwarded to them by the governor, the pro-Wike lawmakers held their sitting at the House of Assembly quarters along Aba Road, Channels TV reported.

Rivers 2024 budget

The power tussle between Messrs Fubara and his predecessor, Mr Wike has battered the state legislature, splitting the lawmakers into two factions

The crisis, which began last October after the pro-Wike lawmakers initiated an impeachment move against Mr Fubara, has continued to escalate, defying interventions from President Bola Tinubu.

The pro-Wike lawmakers last December defected to the APC, prompting the declaration of their seats vacant by then Fubara-backed four-member assembly led by Edison Ehie. Mr Ehie had secured a court order to continue legislative business without interference from the pro-Wike lawmakers.

Governor Fubara had presented the N800 billion 2024 budget to Mr Ehie-led assembly, which was considered, passed and signed into law within 24 hours.

President Tinubu last December midwifed a peace deal between Messrs Fubara and Wike aimed at restoring peace in the state. As part of the controversial deal, the pro-Wike lawmakers were to return to the assembly and conduct legislative business at a venue of their choice, and with their rights and privileges restored, and for Mr Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget to the lawmakers.

But Mr Fubara, who has implemented several parts of the peace, is yet to honour that part of the deal – re-present the budget.

Buoyed by their court reinstatement, the pro-Wike lawmakers on Monday gave Mr Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the budget to them.

In a move to avert a possible second impeachment move against the governor, the state attorney general and commissioner for justice on Monday secured a court order restraining the chief judge of state and clerk of the state assembly from dealing with the pro-Wike lawmakers.

READ ALSO: Rivers Crisis: 25 lawmakers remain sacked despite appeal court judgement — Pro-Fubara Rep members

The interlocutory injunction obtained from a State High Court in Port Harcourt also barred the duo from acting on any resolutions, articles of impeachment and or any other communication from the Wike loyalists.

The suit has Mr Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers as first set of defendants and Mr Oko-Jumbo, and others, the state chief judge, clerk of the assembly and the PDP as the second set of defendants.

The court ordered parties to maintain status quo ante litem as of 5 July until the matter is heard and determined, Channels reported.