The Rivers State House of Assembly faction, loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 state budget.

The speaker of the faction, Martins Amaewhule, gave the ultimatum during a sitting of the members in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Mr Fubara presented the 2024 budget when his current Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, emerged as the speaker.

Mr Fubara had also signed the budget into law after its passage by the then-Ehie-led assembly.

Meanwhile, the Amaewhule-led faction only resumed sitting on Monday after several months of legislative inactivity.

The Rivers State High Court had held that Mr Amaewhule and 24 other pro-Wike lawmakers had lost their seats after decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

In its judgement last week, the Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s decision and declared Mr Amaewhule the authentic speaker of the House.

The Appeal Court held that the Rivers State High Court had no jurisdiction to hear matters relating to the decampment of lawmakers.

(NAN)