President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected House of Assembly members for an initial six-month period.
Expressing deep concern over the prolonged political crisis, Tinubu stated, “I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State.” He lamented that despite efforts from various stakeholders, including his personal interventions, the situation had worsened instead of improving.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on February 28, 2025, had criticized Governor Fubara for undermining democratic governance by demolishing the State House of Assembly and failing to restore it for over 14 months. The court ruled, “A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state… As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.”
President Tinubu also raised alarm over security threats, citing fresh reports of pipeline vandalization by militants, stating, “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.”
To restore stability, he appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) as Administrator, clarifying that, “The Administrator will not make any new laws… but will be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job.”
Emphasizing the urgency of intervention, Tinubu declared, “No good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution.” The declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette and forwarded to the National Assembly for approval.
The move is expected to bring order and governance back to Rivers State, ensuring the rule of law and democratic processes are upheld.
