President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested the National Assembly to urgently consider and approve a fresh ₦1.48 trillion budget for Rivers State, following the Supreme Court’s recent decision nullifying the state’s previously passed 2025 appropriation law.
Observers Times gathered that the President’s budget proposal transmitted on Thursday comes in response to what he described as “a constitutional and practical necessity” created by the apex court’s verdict and the current political stalemate in Rivers State, which has led to emergency governance conditions in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Breakdown of Proposed Expenditure
According to the President, the proposed ₦1.48 trillion expenditure includes:
₦324 billion earmarked for infrastructure development
₦166 billion allocated to the health sector
₦75.6 billion dedicated to education
₦31.4 billion planned for agriculture
The agricultural investment, Tinubu noted, is projected to create no fewer than 6,000 jobs across the value chain. “
The Supreme Court’s involvement in Rivers State’s governance crisis has drastically reshaped its legislative framework. In a ruling delivered on 28 February 2025, the apex court ordered a halt to federal allocations to the state, citing the absence of a constitutionally recognised budget passed by the legally constituted House of Assembly. The court further declared that the Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule remained the legitimate legislative authority, contrary to earlier claims by the Fubara-led executive.
The ruling effectively nullified any budget previously passed by factions not recognised by the court, leaving Rivers State without an approved fiscal document for the 2025 financial year.
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Amid the prolonged legislative crisis and administrative paralysis, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state on 18 March 2025, citing escalating insecurity and political breakdown. The President temporarily suspended the governor, his deputy, and state lawmakers for six months and appointed a retired Vice Admiral as an interim administrator to oversee the state’s affairs.
The federal intervention marks a rare moment in Nigeria’s democratic era where direct national oversight is imposed on a state due to internal constitutional disputes. While Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the President to declare a state of emergency, the political sensitivity surrounding Rivers, a key oil-producing region has drawn nationwide attention to the unfolding scenario.
The President’s appeal to the legislature included a call for expedited passage of the proposed figures.
