Tinubu Declares State Of Emergency In Rivers State

In a decisive move aimed at restoring order and governance in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state on Tuesday, 18th March 2025.

The declaration came after months of escalating political unrest and a failure by the state’s leadership to resolve the crisis, including the continued suspension of the state’s legislative processes.

Political Crisis and Judicial Intervention

President Tinubu’s announcement came after a protracted political crisis that saw the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his administration embroiled in constitutional violations, including the illegal dissolution of the state legislature and widespread unrest. The President noted that, despite numerous interventions from both within and outside the state, including the Supreme Court’s ruling in February 2025, there had been no resolution, and the situation had continued to deteriorate.

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In February, the Supreme Court of Nigeria declared that there was no functional government in Rivers State due to the actions of Governor Fubara, who had “collapsed” the state legislature to govern without it. The court’s judgment stated that “a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state,” and that the Governor’s actions rendered the state’s leadership unconstitutional.

The court also ruled that 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who had allegedly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), were still valid members and must be allowed to resume their legislative duties. However, despite the ruling, there has been no action taken by the state leadership to comply with the judgment, especially regarding the passage of the state’s 2025 budget.

State of Emergency Declared

In his address, President Tinubu expressed his deep concern about the ongoing crisis, which he noted was preventing the people of Rivers State from benefiting from good governance. “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 stated.

He also addressed the violence and vandalism plaguing the state, with militant groups causing havoc. “The latest security reports made available to me show that there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them,” he added.

In light of these ongoing issues, President Tinubu declared the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. “In the circumstance, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of Section 305 of the Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State,” Tinubu said.

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Appointment of Administrator

To ensure the effective administration of the state during this period, President Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Administrator of Rivers State. The President emphasized that the new Administrator would oversee the affairs of the state, ensuring the safety and well-being of the people of Rivers State while upholding the rule of law. “The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations necessary for his work, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council,” Tinubu clarified.

Judiciary Unaffected

The President made it clear that the judiciary in Rivers State would continue to operate as normal and would not be affected by the state of emergency. “This declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate,” he noted, highlighting the importance of maintaining the independence of the judiciary during this turbulent period.