President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the State House of Assembly.
The decision follows months of intense political crisis in the state, which Tinubu said has paralysed governance and threatened national stability.
The President, in a nationwide broadcast, cited the ongoing political deadlock, security threats, and governance failures as the primary reasons for the drastic intervention. He announced the immediate appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Administrator of Rivers State for an initial six-month period.
Tinubu pointed to the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly in December 2023, which he said Governor Fubara had failed to rebuild 14 months later.
This, he argued, effectively crippled the legislative arm of government, leading to what the Supreme Court described in its February 2025 judgment as “no government in Rivers State.”
The Supreme Court had ruled that 27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) remained valid members of the House and should not be obstructed by the governor. Despite this, Tinubu lamented that Fubara had failed to facilitate the passage of an Appropriation Bill as ordered by the court, further deepening the crisis.
The President also expressed concern over rising security threats in the region, including militant activity and pipeline vandalism. According to security reports, critical oil installations had been sabotaged in the last 48 hours, with Tinubu accusing the governor of failing to act against militants issuing threats in his defense.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps,” Tinubu stated.
Under Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, Tinubu suspended the governor, deputy governor, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. However, he clarified that the judiciary in the state would continue to function independently.
The appointed Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibas (Rtd), is tasked with restoring order but will not have the power to enact new laws. Instead, any regulations he formulates will require approval from the Federal Executive Council before being promulgated by the President.
The emergency declaration sets a significant precedent in Nigerian politics, marking one of the rare instances of federal intervention in a state’s affairs since the return to democracy in 1999.
Opposition groups and civil society organizations have already begun reacting to the announcement, with some expressing concerns about the constitutionality of the move and its implications for democratic governance.
Meanwhile, Tinubu urged all political actors in Rivers State to see the intervention as a necessary step toward restoring stability.
“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.”
Chioma Kalu
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