The bill authorises the issuance of a total sum of ₦1,485,662,592,442 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year, ending 31 December 2025. The senate has approved the sum of ₦1.485 trillion as the 2025 budget for Rivers state, marking a major milestone in the federal government’s ongoing emergency administration of the oil-rich south-south state. The passage followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the senate ad-hoc committee...
The session, which had earlier progressed smoothly, turned tense after Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), raised strong objections to the appointment of a Rivers state nominee. There was uproar in the senate on Wednesday during the consideration of the report of the ad-hoc committee on the emergency administration in Rivers State, following controversy over the screening and confirmation of Michael Odey, a nominee from Cross River State as chairman of the Rivers...
A key highlight of the revised budget is a ₦50 billion provision for clearing outstanding pensions and gratuities The senate has defended the sharp upward review of the 2025 budget for Rivers state, describing the adjustments as necessary, people-focused, and vital for sustaining peace and development under the current emergency administration. The revised appropriation, submitted to the national assembly by the state’s sole administrator through the President and Commander-in-Chief, reflects a nearly 50 percent increase...
The 2025 fiscal plan outlines a total budget of ₦1.481 trillion, with key allocations structured to sustain governance and service delivery in Rivers state amid ongoing political instability. The senate has approved the second reading of the 2025 appropriation bill for Rivers state, marking a significant step in the legislative process for a state currently under emergency rule. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Authorise the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund...
Under Regulation 4, Substitution 2(f) of the Emergency Rule (Rivers State) Regulations 2025, any expenditure from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund must be approved by the national assembly in the absence of a functioning state assembly. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted the 2025 Appropriation Bill of Rivers State to the senate for consideration and approval, citing the ongoing state of emergency imposed in the oil-rich state since March 2025. The request, conveyed in a...
The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, was named as chairman of the committee. The senate has set up an 18-member committee to oversee the activities of the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.). The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced the constitution of the committee during the senate’s plenary on Tuesday, explaining that it was established to enhance transparency and accountability in the governance of Rivers State. The Leader of...
Where is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)? Where is the Labour Party (LP)? Their collective silence in the face of this constitutional breach is a national embarrassment. By Charles Jiduwah The political crisis in Rivers State has laid bare the troubling weaknesses of Nigeria’s democratic institutions. What started as a battle for control between Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged political benefactor, Minister Nyesom Wike, has escalated into a full-blown constitutional crisis—one now exacerbated by...
The way and manner the senate handled the president’s state of emergency declaration echoes widespread concerns of a rubber stamp parliament The historic approval of a state of emergency in Rivers state witnessed high-stakes drama that tested Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law, and the very fabric of legislative independence. Just as the dust from Sen. Natasha’s case began to settle, the senate faced an even bigger storm, the escalating political turmoil in Rivers state....
The Senate also resolved that the state of emergency declared in the proclamation may be reviewed or terminated by the President at any time, but it must not exceed a period of six months. The senate has formally approved the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers state, following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that cited the deepening political turmoil and worsening security situation in the oil-rich South-South state. The senate also resolved that the...
While no reason was officially offered for the delay in approving the state of emergency, observers say the decision may be linked to behind-the-scenes consultations. The senate on Wednesday, delayed its planned debate on the motion seeking approval for the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The motion, which was listed as the first item on the order paper, was unexpectedly stepped down without any detailed explanation. Sponsored by the Leader of...
