President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly.
He also nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state for an initial period of six months.
This decision was made due to the persistent political crisis in the state, which has brought democratic governance to a standstill.
“I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State,” President Tinubu said in a broadcast. “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 president cited the demolition of the House of Assembly by Governor Fubara in December 2023, which has not been rebuilt, as one of the reasons for his decision.
He also mentioned the Supreme Court’s judgment on February 28, 2025, which found Governor Fubara guilty of several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of the rule of law.
The Supreme Court had pronounced, “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 hopes that this intervention will help restore peace and order in Rivers State and awaken all contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in the state.