By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
President Bola Tinubu has finally declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, effective 18 March 2025, citing a protracted political crisis that has negatively impacted on governance.
The declaration suspends Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all elected assembly members for six months.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), a former Chief of Naval Staff, has been appointed as the sole administrator to oversee state affairs during this period.
The crisis in Rivers State has been marked by significant political instability, including the demolition of the state’s House of Assembly by Fubara in December 2023, which remains unbuilt.
Despite interventions by President Tinubu and other stakeholders, the situation has not improved. The Supreme Court recently highlighted grave unconstitutional acts by Governor Fubara, stating, “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”. Ibas, the 22nd Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021, brings extensive administrative and military experience to his new role.
As administrator, he will formulate regulations necessary for governance, subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council and promulgation by the President.
Tinubu, reflecting on the situation, emphasised, “No good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state.”
He expressed optimism that this intervention would restore peace and order in Rivers State.
The judicial arm of Rivers State remains unaffected by the declaration, continuing to function according to its constitutional mandate.
Text of the Broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, declaring a State of Emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, 18 March 2025:
Fellow Nigerians, I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
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.
Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State, for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same. I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am 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.
On 28 February 2025, the Supreme Court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State 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 above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Going forward in their judgment, and having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected;
“Are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”.
The Supreme Court then made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy.
These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which up till now has not been facilitated.
Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor, who has up till now not disowned them.
Apart from that, both the House and the governor have not been able to work together.
Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.
The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course, given stern orders to the security agencies to ensure 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 stand by 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 circumstances, 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 Ibok-Ete 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. 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.
Long live a united, peaceful, secure, and democratic Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole.
