By Ephraim Emmanuel
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sounded the alarm over an impending constitutional crisis in Rivers State, warning that public spending could soon grind to a halt due to what it described as a “systemic collapse of institutional governance.”
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Chairman of the ADC, Chukwudi Dimkpa, expressed deep concern over the stagnant pace of administration and development across the state.
The party’s primary grievance centers on Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s failure to formally present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly for legislative scrutiny.
According to Dimkpa, the state has entered dangerous legal territory, as the constitutional six-month grace period allowing the executive to operate without a newly approved budget officially expired on June 30.
“The budget is the government’s principal development document,” Dimkpa stated. “It provides the legal basis for public spending, implementation of projects, and programs. Where there is no valid appropriation law, government spending may be constrained or subject to legal questions. Ultimately, it is the ordinary citizen who bears the consequences through delays in infrastructural projects, disrupted public services, slower economic activities, and uncertainty for investors.”
While Dimkpa noted that the ADC remains committed to a balanced approach—promising to acknowledge constructive government policies when visible—he maintained that the current administration is failing to meet the basic needs of its people.
“Every government should ultimately be judged by the impact it has on the lives of the ordinary people,” Dimkpa said, adding that there remains a significant gap between the expectations of the public and the realities on the ground.
“The questions Rivers people are asking today are simple: Are jobs increasing? Is the economy improving? Are businesses thriving, schools and hospitals getting better, and do young people have greater opportunities? Many citizens continue to struggle with unemployment, a rising cost of living, insecurity, and inadequate public services.”
As the statutory deadline passes, pressure is mounting on the Fubara administration to resolve the legislative impasse and present the budget to avert total fiscal paralysis in the state.
