Rivers Governor presents N800b budget to Assembly, as two pro-Wike lawmakers switch allegiance to Fubara

The Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Wednesday, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N800 billion to the House of Assembly currently sitting in Government House.

The session was presided over by the Court approved Speaker, Edison Ehie.

The presentation is taking place amidst the ongoing demolition of the Assembly complex.

Edison Ehie, on Wednesday, December 13, presided over the Rivers State House of Assembly shortly before the demolition of the Assembly complex.

Ehie, who sat as the Speaker, was said to have declared that the Assembly sitting would be relocated to any other convenient place to be provided by Governor Fubara, pending the renovation of the complex.

Ehie performed the functions against the backdrop of a state High Court’s judgement empowering him to do so.

Meanwhile, two of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday are said to have returned to the PDP fold, thus swelling the pro-Fubara camp led by Ehie to eight.

Hon. Tonye Adoki and Hon. Linda Somiari Stewart were said to have changed their minds and returned to PDP on Wednesday after defecting to the APC on Monday.

According to a report by TheNiche, which said It was has not been able to independently confirm the report, a source in Rivers State said the two lawmakers have had a change of heart and rejoined the PDP.