The Rivers State Government has dismissed reports of a fresh confrontation between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly over the 2026 Appropriation Bill, insisting that the budget is progressing through the normal legislative process.
The government, in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, described reports suggesting a disagreement between the executive and legislative arms as misleading and urged the public to disregard what it called “negative narratives.”
Nzeshi said Governor Fubara was “not at loggerheads” with members of the House of Assembly, stressing that the governor was working with the lawmakers in the interest of the people of Rivers State.
“The 2026 Budget proposal has been presented to the House of Assembly; it is going through the normal legislative process and we strongly believe that once the process is completed, it will be passed by the lawmakers,” the statement said.
The clarification comes against the backdrop of Rivers State’s prolonged political crisis, which has repeatedly pitted the executive against the legislature and generated intense political and legal controversies.
The government said it was determined to prevent a recurrence of the tensions that had previously disrupted governance in the oil-rich state.
“Rivers State has gone through difficult times in the past and is not prepared to be dragged into another round of controversies,” Nzeshi said.
He appealed to individuals and groups allegedly promoting reports of a fresh dispute to desist, arguing that peace and political stability were necessary to sustain development across the state.
The statement effectively seeks to draw a line under speculation that the 2026 budget process could trigger another confrontation between the governor and lawmakers, with the government maintaining that both arms are cooperating to advance the state’s interests.
“We need peace and harmony to ensure steady development of Rivers State,” the governor’s spokesman said.
