Fresh tension has surfaced in Rivers State as members of the House of Assembly returned N100,000 each credited to their personal bank accounts on the directive of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, insisting that the transfer lacked legislative approval and violated due process.
The lawmakers confirmed the development on Monday, December 30, 2025, through a statement issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, Hon. Enemi Aabo George.
According to the statement, members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly were alerted to bank credits of N100,000 each, which were neither requested nor authorised by the legislature.
“The funds were unsolicited and unapproved, having been transferred to the personal accounts of honourable members on the instructions of the Governor of Rivers State,” the statement noted.
It added that upon realising the nature of the transaction, the Assembly acted swiftly to refund the money in full to the Rivers State Government’s account, stressing that the institution remains bound by constitutional provisions governing public finance.
The lawmakers maintained that all government expenditure must pass through established legal channels, including legislative scrutiny and approval, warning that any deviation undermines democratic governance and the doctrine of separation of powers.
“As an institution created by law and guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Rivers State House of Assembly insists that public funds must only be disbursed in line with due process,” the statement said.
The Assembly further accused the governor of repeatedly drawing from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Account without legislative consent since assuming office in 2025, despite warnings from the House and existing judicial pronouncements.
The development comes against the backdrop of renewed political hostilities in the state, particularly amid an ongoing power tussle involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers State.
