BY IBRAHIM ABDULHAMID, MARCH 18, 2025, 7:43 PM
President Bola Tinubu has declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all state lawmakers have been suspended.
The decision follows a 14-month political crisis sparked by Fubara’s 2023 demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The demolition paralyzed governance and led to a constitutional vacuum.
A February 2025 Supreme Court ruling declared Rivers State “governmentless” due to Fubara’s unconstitutional dissolution of the legislature.
The court also criticized Fubara’s failure to pass a state budget despite its orders.
Tinubu accused Fubara of ignoring mediation efforts and allowing militant attacks on oil infrastructure.
These attacks threaten Nigeria’s economy, as Rivers State is a major oil-producing region.
Retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas has been appointed Administrator to oversee governance.
Ibas cannot enact laws without approval from the Federal Executive Council.
The emergency was invoked under Section 305 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
The declaration faces potential opposition in the National Assembly.
Tinubu called the move a “necessary step to rescue democracy” in Rivers State.
Analysts warn the crisis could deepen political tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Rivers State’s oil wealth amplifies the national stakes of the intervention.
Tinubu urged calm, stating: “Long live a united, peaceful, and democratic Nigeria.”
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