Abuja, Nigeria – June 20, 2025
The Nigerian Senate has revealed that approximately 85% of the proposed N1.48 trillion 2025 budget for Rivers State was prepared by the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, before the document was submitted by the state's current sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
This disclosure was made on Thursday during a session at the National Assembly. The Chairman of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Emergency Governance in Rivers State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, shared the findings during a budget defence meeting with Ibas and senior state officials.
According to Bamidele, a detailed three-week scrutiny of the budget by his committee showed that a significant portion—about 85%—of the budget framework had already been put together under Fubara’s administration. Only 15% of the content was added under Ibas' leadership, mainly to include newly proposed projects.
"The overwhelming evidence shows that the majority of the draft was concluded by the suspended governor before the recent administrative changes," Senator Bamidele stated. "Vice Admiral Ibas merely updated it to reflect current needs and priorities."
The revelation adds a new layer to the political drama unfolding in Rivers State and could spark further debate about the continuity of policies and legitimacy of decisions taken after Fubara’s suspension earlier this year amidst a fierce political standoff.