President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State, citing the escalating political crisis and failure of leadership to take necessary constitutional steps to address the situation.
Announcing the decision in a national broadcast, Tinubu stated that the measure was in accordance with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to intervene in cases where governance is threatened.
“Having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, and with the Governor and Deputy Governor failing to request a proclamation as required by the Constitution, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke Section 305,” the President said.
As part of the emergency declaration, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected Rivers Assembly members have been suspended from office for an initial period of six months.
The President emphasised that this action was taken in the interest of the people of Rivers State to ensure stability and restoring effective governance.
The faceoff between Governor Fubara and the 27 members of the Rivers Assembly who are loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, worsened after the Supreme Court delivered decisions seeming to restore the influence of the State House of Assembly.
Of recent the crisis seemed to have assumed ethnic and violent outlooks with some unidentified persons, who claimed to be defending the Governor threatening to inflict havoc’s on the nation’s oil facilities.
However, on Monday night an explosion was reported on the critical Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) around Bodo, Gokana council area while a second incident was recorded in less than 24 hours at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni council area.
Speaking on the developments in the State, President Tinubu said “I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, depriving its people of the dividends of democracy.”
Citing constitutional breaches and security concerns, Tinubu pointed to the destruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly in December 2023 and the governor’s failure to rebuild it.
He also referenced a Supreme Court ruling that condemned the absence of a functioning legislature in the state, warning that “a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state.”
The President also highlighted fresh security threats, including the aforementioned pipeline vandalism by militants.
“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 given stern orders to security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and oil infrastructure in Rivers State,” Tinubu said.
In place of the suspended officials, President Tinubu has appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Administrator of Rivers State to oversee governance during the emergency period.
“I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State,” he announced.
The President clarified that while the legislative and executive arms of government have been suspended, the judiciary in Rivers State will continue to function normally.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate,” he assured.
The Administrator will not be permitted to make new laws but will be authorized to introduce necessary regulations with approval from the Federal Executive Council.
President Tinubu stressed that his decision was guided by constitutional provisions and the need to restore order.
He expressed disappointment that despite multiple interventions from his office, national leaders, and other well-meaning Nigerians, the crisis had persisted.
“No good and responsible President will stand by and allow this grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps,” he said.
He said the emergency declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette and forwarded to the National Assembly in line with constitutional requirements.
The President expressed hope that this intervention would serve as a wake-up call for all political players in Rivers State and across Nigeria, saying “it is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help restore peace and order in Rivers State”.
