By Cross Udo and Vincent Egunyanga, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency yesterday in Rivers State, citing a prolonged political crisis, constitutional breaches, and rising insecurity.
The President also suspended the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.
Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast, appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as Administrator with immediate effect.
Tinubu said the decision was necessary to restore peace, order, and governance in Rivers, which had been in political turmoil for months.
He noted that all mediation efforts, including his personal intervention and those of other well-meaning Nigerians, had failed to resolve the crisis.
He said, “Fellow Nigerians, I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail as soon as possible, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
“With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state.
“The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of Rivers unable to access the dividends of democracy.”
The President also cited the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in December 2023, which he described as an unjustifiable act that crippled legislative governance.
He said, “Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State, for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as December 13, 2023, and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same.
“I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.
“I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of thought, and Patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.”
He said more than a year after the demolition, the complex remains un-rebuilt, exacerbating tensions between the executive and legislative arms of the state government.
Tinubu based his decision on the February 28, 2025, Supreme Court judgment, which ruled that Rivers had effectively ceased to have a functioning government due to the collapse of its legislative arm.
The court had upheld the validity of 27 lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC, ruling that they must be allowed to resume legislative activities.
Despite this ruling, the Rivers government, led by Governor Fubara and a faction of four lawmakers, continued to resist compliance, worsening the crisis.
“The Supreme Court held that a government cannot exist without its three arms. In this case, the Governor collapsed the legislature to govern as a despot. As it stands, there is no government in Rivers State,” Tinubu quoted from the ruling.
Beyond the political crisis, Tinubu highlighted the escalating security threats in Rivers State, pointing to recent pipeline vandalisation by militants. He alleged that these activities had taken place without any intervention from the state government, raising concerns about the Governor’s failure to maintain law and order.
He said, “The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today, there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the Governor taking any action to curtail them.
“I have, of course, given stern orders to the security agencies to ensure the safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
“With all these and many more, no sound and responsible President will stand and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the problem in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.
“In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State has failed to request me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025 and I so do.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for six months.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. To avoid doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function by its constitutional mandate.
“The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President of the state.
“This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly by the Constitution.
“It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State by awakening all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.”
He categorically stated that the judiciary in Rivers State would remain functional, ensuring that legal processes continued without disruption.
“This is an extraordinary measure, but it is necessary to restore governance and prevent further breakdown of law and order in Rivers State,” Tinubu said.
*Two arrested over oil pipeline explosions in Rivers
Police authorities in Rivers State have arrested two persons over the Trans-Niger Pipeline explosion that rocked the Bodo community of the state and have also begun an investigation into the matter.
The fire from the explosion which ripped through the mangrove happened on Monday night but has been put out.
Rivers State Police Command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Iroko said some persons have been taken in for questioning over the incident.
“The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire. In connection with this, two individuals have been taken in for questioning as part of efforts to uncover any potential act of sabotage,” the police spokesperson said in a statement issued yesterday.
*Atiku condemns declaration of state of emergency, blames President for insecurity
Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has condemned President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.
In a statement he signed yesterday, Atiku, vice president from 1999 to 2007, said, “The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith.
“Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal- or calculated negligence- to prevent this escalation is disgraceful.
“Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the state’s condemnable destruction of national infrastructure land squarely on the President’s desk. Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has enabled or failed to prevent.”
Atiku continued, “It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability- undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations.”
“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the Governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy. It must be condemned in the strongest terms.”
