Tinubu unleashes state of emergency on Rivers
..Suspends Fubara, lawmakers for initial six months
…Names Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as Administrator
By Dooyum Naadzenga
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, effective March 18, 2025, to quell the raging political inferno that has left the state teetering on the brink of collapse.
This drastic measure is a response to the prolonged crisis that has crippled governance and severely impacted the lives of its citizens.
President Tinubu said, “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 the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy”.
The political chaos in Rivers intensified following a Supreme Court ruling that exposed severe constitutional breaches by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The court earlier ruled that a government cannot function without a legislature, which has been effectively dismantled by the governor’s actions.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu has suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. This suspension aims to restore constitutional governance.
Declaring the emergency rule, the president said, “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to 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, 18th March, 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 an initial period of six months”.
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To oversee the state’s affairs during this tumultuous period, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) has been appointed as the Administrator. His role will focus on ensuring stability while refraining from enacting new laws.
The declaration also addresses rising security threats, including pipeline vandalization. President Tinubu has ordered security agencies to take immediate action to protect lives and property in Rivers State.
“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 militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines”.
President Tinubu expresses hope that this intervention would prompt political leaders to fulfill their constitutional duties and unite towards peace and democracy. This state of emergency underscores the federal government’s resolve to restore order and ensure that Rivers State citizens benefit from democratic governance.
