President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday evening declared a state of emergency in Rivers State in a nationwide broadcast.
Citing the need to restore law and order, Tinubu announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State for an initial six months.
Tinubu announced the nomination of retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Rivers State administrator to steer the affairs of the state.
A few hours after the declaration, soldiers took over the Rivers Government House in Port Harcourt.
An insider said the governor was still in his official residence in the Government House when the troops swarmed over the premises around 9 pm.
The source stated, “Well, as I speak to you now, there are soldiers inside Government House but the governor is in his residence.”
Also, an Armoured Personnel Carrier was stationed at the entrance of the seat of power in the state overlooking the road.
Our correspondent, who visited the Government House along Azikiwe Road in Port Harcourt, at about 9pm observed several Sports Utility Vehicles outside the main gate with full lights on.
It could not be ascertained if the governor was about to leave the Government House.
Tension in Rivers
In many parts of the Port Harcourt metropolis, residents and motorists were seen rushing home to their families immediately after the news of the state of emergency filtered in.
People were also seen on the streets discussing the latest issue as some residents expressed dismay over the announcement and blamed the political actors for what happened.
Tinubu justifies action
In his broadcast, the President Tinubu said he was disturbed by the unfolding events in the state, which appeared to have defied political solutions, stalled development and progress and denied the people of the state the dividends of democracy.
He said, “In the circumstance, 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 Ibokette Ibas (retd.) 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 President clarified that the emergency declaration did not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which will continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate.
According to him, the Administrator will not make any new laws but is 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.
The declaration, he added, had been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which had 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,’’ the President stated.
The declaration came a few hours after Tinubu summoned an emergency meeting with his service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa following double blasts at two different oil pipelines in Rivers State.
The meeting, which began at 3:00 pm, was attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Directors General of the State Security Service, Mr Adeola Ajayi and the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
Also in attendance were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and other top government officials.
Fubara urges calm
Responding to his suspension by the President, Fubara, in a statement he personally signed, called for calm, saying, “We will engage with all relevant institutions to ensure that our democracy remains strong and that Rivers State continues to thrive.”
In the statement titled, “Press Release by the Executive Governor of Rivers State,” the suspended governor blamed the members of the state Assembly loyal to Wike, saying they frustrated all his attempts to comply with the verdict of the Supreme Court.
Fubara said, “My dear Rivers People, I address you today with a deep sense of responsibility and calm, as we navigate this unfortunate moment in our state’s political history.
“Since assuming office as your governor, all my actions and decisions have been guided by my constitutional oath of office and a great sense of duty.
“We prioritised the protection of lives and property and ensured the continuous progress of our dear state.
“Even in the face of the political impasse, we have remained committed to constitutional order and the rule of law, putting the interest of our people above all else.
“This was why, immediately after Mr. President’s intervention to broker peace, we did not hesitate to implement the agreed terms in good faith, including welcoming back commissioners who had previously resigned on their own volition.
“Furthermore, we moved swiftly to comply with the Supreme Court’s judgement immediately we received the certified true copy of the judgment to return the state to normalcy.
“These steps were taken not for personal gains but to foster peace, unity and stability in our dear State.
“Unfortunately, at every turn, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly frustrated our efforts, thus making genuine peace and progress difficult.
“Our priorities remained the security of lives and property and advancing the well-being and prosperity of Rivers people.
“Yes, we have political disagreements, but good governance had continued, salaries have been paid, and great projects were being executed to move the state forward. Above all, Rivers State is safe, secure and peaceful under our watch.
“At this critical time, I urge all Rivers people to remain peaceful and law-abiding. We will engage with all relevant institutions to ensure that our democracy remains strong and that Rivers State continues to thrive.
“We have always been a resilient people, and we will face this situation with wisdom, patience, and unwavering faith in the democratic process.”
Explosions rock pipelines
Between late Monday and Tuesday double blasts were recorded at two different oil pipelines in Rivers State.
The first explosion rocked a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo Community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies crude oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.
The incident occurred late on Monday night near the Bodo-Bonny Road under construction.
It comes hours after the Rivers State House of Assembly served notice of misconduct against Fubara, an action seen as laying the ground for his planned impeachment by the lawmakers loyal to ex-Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
However, community sources attributed it to illegal bunkering, but Shell is yet to make any official statement on the incident.
A video seen by one of our correspondents showed a massive fire in a forest location.
Another explosion was reported on Tuesday morning at a pipeline manifold in Omwawriwa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The latest incident was said to be on a manifold connecting a federal line in the area, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the explosion and arrested two suspects in connection with the incident.
This came as some youths blocked the East-West Road in protest over the political crisis in the state.
The PUNCH could not be confirmed if the blasts were connected to threats issued by some militant groups to attack oil installations on account of the political crisis in Rivers State.
However, the police have launched a thorough investigation into the matter, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday.
Iringe-Koko said operatives moved to the scene and contacted the operator, Shell, which shut down the pipeline.
The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that a fire incident occurred at the Shell Petroleum Development Company operated Trans Niger Delta Pipeline, located at the border of Kpor and Bodo communities.
“During a routine night patrol, security operatives observed the incident and promptly alerted SPDC management. The latter initiated necessary safety protocols, including shutting down the affected pipeline.
“As a result of swift intervention, the situation is now under control, and there is no further threat to residents or the environment.
“The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire. In connection with this, two individuals have been taken in for questioning as part of efforts to uncover any potential act of sabotage.’’
Political crisis
Fubara and 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, have been involved in a face-off which has heightened tension in the state.
Though the President intervened, the crisis escalated as Fubara, the lawmakers and Wike failed to reach an agreement.
Fubara demolished the state Assembly after it was bombed on October 29, 2023, thus preventing the opposition lawmakers from sitting.
He also presented the 2024 budget before four legislators loyal to him, stating that the pro-Wike lawmakers had defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
However, a Rivers State High Court ruled that the 27 lawmakers remained valid members of the PDP.
On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both in Abuja, which had earlier declared the acts against the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly members as unlawful and illegal.
A N10m fine was imposed on Fubara to be paid to the assembly and the 27 members who instituted the suit against him.
The Federal High Court had held that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January last year by the governor was a Constitutional aberration that must not be allowed to continue.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik who delivered the Federal High Court judgment, had last year issued an order that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the Constitutional provision.
Specifically, the judge had said that Fubara’s action in implementing unlawful budget smacked gross violations of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.
The judge had restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria, Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
Affirming the judgment, the Supreme Court ordered the CBN and the AGF to stop further release of financial allocations to the Rivers State Government with immediate effect.
The apex court directed that the order shall be in force until Fubara stopped all his illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional activities.
Specifically, the court said that no money shall be released to the state government until a lawful Appropriation Law is enacted under Amaewhule as the speaker.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the judgment, also ordered the 27 lawmakers to resume immediately.
The apex court lambasted the governor for engaging in criminal activity of demolishing the House of Assembly with impunity just to prevent the 27 legislators in the house from sitting to carry out lawful activities.
Fubara in his reaction pledged to comply with the judgment.
Impeachment moves
On Monday, the state Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.
The Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly served Fubara and Odu with a notice of alleged gross misconduct, signalling an imminent impeachment process.
The notice listing the alleged misconduct sent to the Speaker was a sequel to a letter dated March 14, 2025, signed by 26 members of the Assembly.
Amaewhule sent the notice in two separate letters he signed on Monday, March 17, 2025 and addressed to the governor and his deputy.
The development heightened the political tension in the state, as some Ijaw groups had threatened a crisis in the region if Fubara is impeached.
The groups- Ijaw National Congress, the Ijaw Youth Council and other groups expressed strong opposition to the potential impeachment of Fubara, who is of Ijaw descent.
They warned that such actions could lead to unrest, emphasising their commitment to defending the governor’s mandate and cautioning that his removal might destabilise the region and affect oil production.
Alluding to these developments, Tinubu in his broadcast also cited the Supreme Court judgment which 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”
Noting the threat by some militants to attack oil facilities, the President disclosed that the security reports made available to him showed that between Monday and Tuesday, there had been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
He stated, ‘’Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against the 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 (Monday) and today (Tuesday), there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization 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 the 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 standby 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.’’
NBA, opposition, PANDEF fault gov’s suspension
The Nigerian Bar Association expressed worries over the suspension of the democratic structures in Rivers State, stressing that the 1999 Constitution did not grant the President the power to remove an elected governor, deputy governor, or members of a state’s legislature under the guise of a state of emergency.
Rather, the President, Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), said the Constitution provides clear procedures for the removal of a governor and deputy governor per section 188.
‘’A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments. The Constitution does not empower the President to unilaterally remove or replace elected officials—such actions amount to an unconstitutional usurpation of power and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s federal structure,” Osigwe said in a statement.
The NBA firmly asserted that the situation in Rivers State, though politically tense, did not meet the constitutional threshold for the removal of elected officials.
Osigwe argued that Section 305(3) of the Constitution outlines specific conditions under which a state of emergency may be declared and they include “war or external aggression against Nigeria, imminent danger of invasion or war, a breakdown of public order and safety to such an extent that ordinary legal measures are insufficient.”
“Others are a clear danger to Nigeria’s existence, occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity affecting a state or a part of it and such other public danger that constitutes a threat to the federation.”
The NBA questioned whether the political crisis in Rivers State had reached the level of a complete breakdown of law and order warranting the removal of the governor and his administration.
‘’Political disagreements, legislative conflicts, or executive-legislative tensions do not constitute a justification for emergency rule. Such conflicts should be resolved through legal and constitutional mechanisms, including the judiciary, rather than executive fiat.
“The purported removal of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly is therefore unconstitutional, unlawful, and a dangerous affront to our nation’s democracy,” the association declared.
The NBA, therefore, called on the National Assembly to reject any unconstitutional attempt to ratify the removal of the Rivers State governor and other elected officials, insisting that the approval of a state of emergency must be based on strict constitutional grounds, not political expediency.
Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said Tinubu’s action reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith.
Atiku, in a post on X.com, alleged that the President had been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers, adding that “his blatant refusal or calculated negligence in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.’’
He wrote, “Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk.
“Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent. It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations.
“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and @officialABAT’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms.’’
The Peoples Democratic Party rejected the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
In a statement on Tuesday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that President Tinubu does not have the authority to suspend a democratically elected governor.
Ologunagba reasoned, “The Peoples Democratic Party and indeed, Nigerians listened with dismay the national broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in which the President, in utter violation of the 1999 Constitution pronounced an imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State
“The PDP outright rejects this attempt by the President to override the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and undermine the votes and Will of the people of Rivers State by seeking to depose a democratic government and foist an undemocratic rule in the State.
“The unconstitutional declaration by President Tinubu of the suspension of the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and appointment of an unelected individual, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) to govern the state is a clear attack on our nation’s democracy, an abrogation of the votes and democratic right of the people of Rivers State to choose their leader under the Constitution.
“The action of Mr President therefore clearly borders on attempt at state capture. It is the climax of a well-oiled plot to forcefully take over Rivers State for which the All Progressives Congress has been bent on stoking crisis to ensure that democracy is ultimately truncated in the state.”
The PDP urged Ibas to adhere to the Constitution and avoid any actions that could disrupt the democratic governance in Rivers State.
It emphasised that Nigeria is not under military rule, where state governance is determined by a junta’s appointments.
The opposition party continued, “Nigerians are invited to note that the situation in Rivers State and the reasons adduced by the President cannot justify the declaration of a state of emergency in the state under the 1999 Constitution, rendering the declaration completely incompetent.
“The PDP alerts that the unwarranted imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State is part of the larger vicious plot to foist a siege mentality across Nigeria, decimate opposition, impose a totalitarian one-party state and turn the country into a fiefdom
“In any case, nothing in section 305 of the 1999 Constitution relied upon by the President in the declaration grants him the exclusive powers to declare or execute the declaration of a state of emergency without recourse to the statutory approval of the National Assembly.
“For the avoidance of doubt, section 305 (2) provides that “The President shall immediately after the publication, transmit copies of the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation containing the proclamation including the details of the emergency to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each of whom shall forthwith convene or arrange for a meeting of the House of which he is President or Speaker, as the case may be, to consider the situation and decide whether or not to pass a resolution approving the proclamation.
