President Bola Tinubu Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State for six months following a protracted political crisis that has engulfed the state.
TheHintsNews reports that the Governor of Rivers state, Siminilayi Fubara has been engaged in a political war with his estranged godfather and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Tinubu in a nationwide broadcast said he was disturbed at the turn of events, adding that he had watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest.
However, he said, all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
The President noted that with the crisis persisting, there was no way democratic governance, which was fought and worked for over the years, could thrive in a way that would redound to the benefit of the good people of the state.
He lamented that 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.
Tinubu added that it was public knowledge that Fubara, for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and 14 months after, not rebuilt same.
He explained that he had made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but his efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.
Tinubu stressed that he was 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 recalled that on February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in the State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that had been committed by the Governor as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in very clear terms:
“A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”
The President noted that the above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Tinubu noted that some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now not disowned them.
He stated: “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 the safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation 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 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.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their 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 for the state.
“This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution.”