President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the 2025 Appropriation Bill for Rivers State to the National Assembly, even though the entire democratic structure of the state remains suspended under emergency rule. The budget, which totals ₦1.481 trillion, comes months after the President suspended the elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the House of Assembly, placing the state under the control of a sole administrator. Yet, the president is asking the Senate and House of Representatives to approve a fresh budget for a state without an active government.
No Assembly, But Tinubu Sends 2025 Rivers Budget to Senate
The President, in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, asked for urgent legislative action on the 2025 Rivers budget. The proposed budget includes ₦324 billion for infrastructure, ₦106 billion for health, ₦75.6 billion for education, and ₦31.4 billion for agriculture. Part of the health allocation includes ₦5 billion for free malaria drugs. The budget also promises to create 6,000 new jobs across the state. All this is being proposed for a state where the governor, his deputy, and all lawmakers have been removed for months, raising questions about who will oversee implementation and accountability.
Emergency Rule in Rivers But Budget Moves Ahead
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the elected officials and appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as sole administrator. The justification came from Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution. Since then, the people of Rivers have been living under a military-style administrator with no democratic representation. Still, Tinubu has submitted a budget for the state, seeking approval from lawmakers whose colleagues from Rivers have been barred from representing their constituents.
Controversy Deepens as Tinubu Pushes Budget for Suspended Government
Civil society groups have condemned the suspension of democratic institutions and have called for the reinstatement of elected officials. Women in the state have led protests, demanding the return of Governor Fubara and democratic governance. Yet, Tinubu’s administration has continued with business as usual, pushing forward with a budget plan that, many argue, lacks the moral and constitutional backing of a representative assembly.
Tinubu Sends 2025 Rivers Budget to Senate Despite Suspended Government
The submission of the 2025 budget for Rivers State by President Tinubu, despite the suspension of the state’s government, is raising deep concerns about legality, transparency, and the true state of democracy in Nigeria. While the Senate deliberates, citizens are asking the one question no one seems willing to answer: how can a budget be approved and implemented in a state where the government has been shut down?
