…N350 sharing formula for each lawmaker adds to scandals as Gov Fubara's aide says N10.5bn not reaching people
Financial scandals appear to reveal the real motives behind the impeachment saga in Rivers State. While a Rivers State government official says the money collected did not go to help the public, there is an outcry over how the money might have been shared.
Now, an official of the Rivers State government has confirmed the wild claims that N350m was given to 26 lawmakers loyal to the FCT minister, who were among the 30 lawmakers currently in the House.
Political Adviser to Gov. Sim Fubara, Darlington Orji, confirmed to BusinessDay in a telephone interview this morning, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, that such sum was indeed shared among the 26 lawmakers at the end of the state of emergency rule.
He insisted that the money was never collected for the benefit of the people of the state. He also confirmed that each MLA got a sport utility vehicle (SUV) from the funds collected.
He explained that the Rivers State House of Assembly leadership has neither released funds nor vehicles to the pro-Fubara lawmakers.
On the question of whether it was legal or appropriate for suspended MPs to write official letters and officially use government funds during suspension, while others who were suspended were not allowed to conduct business, the political consultant said he did not think it was appropriate.
He said there was no evidence that the money was used for the benefit of the people as was mentioned in the letter requesting the funds, such as construction of health centres, civic centres, roads etc. However, he wondered why lawmakers who had collected so much money would immediately return to demanding their 'interest' in the 2025 budget, leave alone launching an impeachment project on such complaints.
He confirmed that Gov Fubara had requested that no one found any ‘interest’ between the executive and the legislature in the revised 2025 budget, he reportedly asked the lawmakers to wait until the 2026 budget. Orji said this was the crux of the latest impeachment by pro-Wike lawmakers.
The adviser promised to reveal more and provide evidence of N350m to each of the 26 MPs if the Chairman of the Information Committee refused to do so. He challenged lawmakers to point to any meaningful piece of legislation drafted and approved after May 2023 other than a series of impeachment proposals and a tussle over funding with the executive.
Also read: Fragrance of Power: Fubara, Wike, and the 'Beast of Ephesus'
He described the latest impeachment campaign as a failed project and said that the people of the state will not allow such legislative style and excesses to continue forever.
Martin Amawehule (Speaker) The group has not responded to the N350m scam days after it made headlines, especially since the alleged documents were published by SaharaReports.
Orji had previously hinted at a split of the money in a television interview, and this followed the printing of the alleged documents in an online publication.
The online report said applications, approvals and payments totaling about ₦10.5 billion were approved and released on September 12, 2025, according to what they claimed to have seen financial records.
The report claims that none of the projects listed in the claims documents have been executed.
The report claimed that investigations indicated that most of the companies nominated by lawmakers to execute the projects were “either inactive, defunct, or suspected shell (fake) companies.”
Giving more details, the report said a memorandum signed by a Special Adviser on Works and addressed to the then Sole Administrator requested for N10.5bn as ‘Constituency Project Fund for 30 Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly’, which was written and approved on the same day, September 12, 2025.
The report said the memo claimed the funding was in response to MPs' “desire to bring governance closer to their constituents”, and listed proposed projects submitted by 26 out of 30 MPs. “Records show that the approval was given on the same day, September 12, 2025 and the funds were subsequently distributed in the accounts linked to the companies presented by the MLAs.
“Despite this, on-site investigation and local reports reveal that none of the projects in the listed constituency have been executed.”
However, a political activist in the state, DA Steven Degbara, said on Facebook thus: “Gwara township project for Khana Constituency 1 has passed decking stage, running smoothly”.
Both the Speaker and Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly have accused the governor of using agents to instigate the people of their constituencies to demand the recall of the 26 legislators. He has also accused the Governor of using the media to fight him. However, he has not addressed the N350m given to each, why it was transacted while he was on suspension, and what happened to the share of the lawmakers loyal to Gov Fubara.
Conflicting signs:
Conflicting signals continue in the N10.5bn saga. Lawmakers have not come out to openly admit or deny, leaving the claims at the level of allegations and speculations.
A forum called Port Harcourt Force has published a staunch rebuttal by a lawmaker who did not mention his name. It was told that the MLA has denied receiving such money and has asked those making such allegations to show the bank accounts of the MLAs.
It said: “This claim is not only false; it is a blatant lie and a deliberate attempt to distract the good people of Rivers State from the ongoing impeachment process and the real issues at stake. Go ahead and publish solid evidence to support your allegation. Let them also produce official documents indicating that any of the members have nominated contractors or companies for the execution of constituency projects. Since they claim to be in possession of the documents, It should be an easy task – if his story is true.”
However another report claimed that a lawmaker admitted that the MPs collected the money but it was a partial payment of N1bn constituency fund to each lawmaker. The report quoted an MLA from Etche as saying that he has explained the details to voters in his ward, but no source has confirmed this.
What remains concrete is the threat by Orji, a political adviser to Gov. Fubara, to provide evidence if the lawmakers vehemently deny the allegations.
The impeachment fight may yet enter the gutter stage as each camp claims to have access to incriminating documents to inflict maximum damage.
