Fubara Didn’t Breach Constitution By Presenting 2026 Budget In July – Stakeholders

Stakeholders in Rivers State have insisted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara did not breach any constitutional provisions by presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill before the House of Assembly in July 2026 instead of December 2025.

The stakeholders, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said it was right for the governor to wait for the 2025 budget passed into law by the National Assembly to run its full course before presenting another budget.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, said it would have been an anomaly for Fubara to present another budget before the House of Assembly when the one passed into law by the National Assembly was yet to expire.

“A state of emergency was declared. Before the declaration of state of emergency, the governor tried to lay the budget before the House of Assembly. At least we know that the doors of the House of Assembly quarters where the lawmakers sit were securely locked.

“Now, that state of affairs, which obviously resulted in an intervention by the federal government meant that the assignment of lawmaking for Rivers State was taken over by the National Assembly.

Recall that the Assembly members were also at home. The National Assembly passed a budget for Rivers State in July 2025 and the budget had to run its full course regardless of how some lawmakers were asking Fubara to submit another budget.

“You cannot submit a budget when a circle of an existing budget is not complete. Now that circle is complete and the governor in line with constitutional provisions has sent a budget proposal to the Assembly and the House has accepted it,” Nwuke said.

Also speaking with LEADERSHIP, youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers South-East senatorial district, Hon. Innocent Ajaelu, said there was no need to raise issues about the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

“First, let me say that this shouldn’t make a news because it is expected that at the end of every budget year, a governor should present an appropriation bill to the House of Assembly to look into it and deliberate on it.

“I know that the emphasis on this now is because of the quagmire, the political problem that has beseeched Rivers State for sometime now, which by his grace and the intervention of Mr. President and the acceptance of all the gladiators that political peace has returned in Rivers State.

“That is what we are talking about. If not, ordinarily, a governor presenting a budget to House of Assembly shouldn’t make a news.

“Even as it stands now, because of what has happened, Rivers State in particular should downplay this issue of budget presentation because it is not palatable. It has not done anything for us for the delay. It shouldn’t be an issue. That is my opinion,” Ajaelu said.