*Suspends Fubara, Deputy For Six Months
*Appoints Former Naval Chief, Ibas, As Administrator
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, March 18, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly for six months, following escalation of political hostilities and explosion of a major oil pipeline in the state earlier in the day.
This is following his declaration of emergency in the oil-rich South South state.
In a nationwide broadcast, Tinubu said he took the decision to restore stability, which has been threatened as a result of political disagreement between Fubara on the one hand, and his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, and 27 out of the state’s 30 lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, on the other hand.
In the interim, the President appointed a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd), as Administrator.
The announcement was preceded by meeting with Service Chiefs; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun; National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Adeola Ajayi; his National Intelligence Agency (NIA) counterpart, Mohammed Mohammed, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the Deputy, Benjamin Kalu, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
rriving at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa.
According to the President: “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 (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.”
Relying on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Tinubu said the action became necessary to restore peace, adding that the proclamation had been published in the Federal Gazette and 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.”
This action came hours after an explosion on a section of the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Bodo Community of Gonna Local Council of state late on Monday night near the Bodo-Bonny Road, which is under construction.
Many observers fear the explosion could be an act of vandalisation and sabortage of oil pipelines in the state, a few days after militants threatened such action should the governor be impeached.
Recall the Fubara and Odu had been accused of gross misconduct and served impeachment notice by the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, who have been buoyed by a Supreme Court judgment declaring them still members of the Assembly and nullified Fubara conduct of the local council election last year, as well as the 2025 budget he earlier presented a three-memeber Assembly loyal to him, and ordered him to re-present the Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
Tinubu lamented that amid the destruction of oil infrastructure, Fubara failed to reach out to him, noting: “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 (FEC) and promulgated by the President for the state.
Ibas was born on September 27, 1960 in Nko, Cross River State, served as the 22nd Chief of Naval Staff of the Nigerian Navy from July 2015 to his retirement in January 2021.
He was subsequently appointed as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Full Text Of Tinubu’s Broadcast
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 February 28, 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 vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
I have, of course given stern order 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 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.
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 (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.
