Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule have rejected and returned a ₦100,000 Christmas gift that was credited to their personal bank accounts on the instruction of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The transfers were posted on Tuesday 30 December 2025. Within hours the Amaewhule-led, court-recognised faction reversed the payments, describing them as unsolicited and lacking the legislative approval required for expenditures from the state Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Rivers lawmakers return ₦100,000 as constitutional concerns raised
In a statement issued by Hon. Enemi Alabo George, chairman of the House Committee on Information, the Assembly reiterated that any drawdown from public coffers must be authorised in advance by the legislature. According to the statement, the payments were “unsolicited, unapproved and unconstitutional” because they were not sanctioned by the House.
The lawmakers accused Governor Fubara of a recurring pattern of bypassing established procedures for public spending since 2023, in spite of court decisions and explicit constitutional provisions. The Assembly said it would continue to defend public funds and uphold the constitution.
Unlike the lawmakers, civil servants and pensioners who received the same ₦100,000 payment reportedly accepted the bonus. The different responses have highlighted a wider political rift in Rivers State between the governor and the pro-Nyesom Wike faction of the legislature.
The dispute is part of a broader standoff that has delayed normal governance processes. The House has not been presented with the 2026 budget and commissioner nominees, the Assembly said. Lawmakers have adjourned until 26 January 2026 while the impasse continues to affect the passage of key business.
Legal context is central to the row. Nigeria’s constitution and precedent require legislative approval for expenditures charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and the Assembly framed the reversal as an effort to safeguard public finances and maintain adherence to the law.
Political analysts say the incident underlines persistent tensions between the executive and parts of the legislature in Rivers State. Observers note that returning the funds is both a legal argument and a symbolic political act that emphasises the Assembly’s claim to oversight of state spending.
Governor Fubara, whose office authorised the transfers, has not publicly reversed course on the matter. There was no indication at the time of publication that the governor intended to pursue further legal or administrative steps against the lawmakers who returned the payments.
As the new year begins, the standoff leaves practical questions about governance and service delivery in Rivers State. The delayed budget and the absence of confirmed commissioners could affect programme implementation and administrative continuity until the legislature and executive reconcile their differences.
For now, the Assembly’s action reflects an explicit insistence on parliamentary oversight and constitutional procedure. Both sides will be under pressure to resolve the dispute ahead of the House’s reconvening later in January, a timetable that will likely determine whether the impasse deepens or is resolved through negotiation or legal channels.
Key Takeaways:
- Rivers lawmakers return ₦100,000 cash transfers they called “unsolicited, unapproved, and unconstitutional”.
- The transfers were reversed on 30 December 2025 and civil servants and pensioners accepted the same bonus.
- The Assembly says public spending must have legislative approval and accused the governor of bypassing due process.
- The House has adjourned until 26 January 2026 as the budget and commissioner nominations remain pending.
