Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have returned a N100,000 cash gift sent to them by the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The lawmakers said the funds were paid into their personal bank accounts on the governor’s instructions without prior approval.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Hon. Enemi Alabo George, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints.
According to the statement, lawmakers of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly received bank credit alerts of ₦100,000 each on Monday, December 30, 2025. The House described the transfers as “unsolicited and unapproved.”
“Upon discovery of these unsolicited and unapproved transfers, honourable members of the House took immediate steps to formally return the said funds to the account of the Rivers State Government,” the statement said.
The Assembly stressed that, as an institution established by law, all public expenditures must follow due process, including legislative approval, in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement further accused the governor of repeatedly drawing from the state’s consolidated revenue fund without legislative approval since assuming office in 2025, despite warnings from the House, a Supreme Court judgment, and constitutional provisions on separation of powers.
The development comes amid renewed political tensions between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
