“You’re fuelling the flames of division” – Rivers APC chairman warns Gov Fubara

The Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Okocha, has accused Governor Sim Fubara of deepening divisions in the state by presenting the 2025 budget to a faction of the state House of Assembly.

Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Okocha condemned the governor’s actions, labelling the budget presentation to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly as illegitimate. He warned that the move could plunge Rivers State into its worst political crisis.

Governor Fubara recently presented a ₦1.1 trillion budget to four members of the Assembly led by Oko-Jumbo, ignoring the majority faction of the 30 functional Assembly members. According to Okocha, this act disregarded judicial pronouncements and the rule of law.

“I expected the governor to use the new year to extend an olive branch and promote peace, but instead, he continues to fuel the flames of division,” Okocha stated.

The APC chairman stressed the irregularity of presenting such an important budget to a minority faction of the Assembly. He referred to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led group as a “forum of friends” rather than legitimate legislators.

Okocha added: “An Assembly of 32 members, now reduced to 30 functional members, cannot legitimately have its budget presented to just a minority faction. It is unimaginable that a governor with such a rich background in finance and governance would sidestep legal processes.”

He called on Governor Fubara to uphold the rule of law and work towards fostering unity in the state, warning that continued disregard for judicial rulings could lead to severe political unrest.