President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the prolonged political crisis that has hindered governance and stability in the state. The announcement was made during a national broadcast on Tuesday.
In his address, President Tinubu stated that the declaration became necessary to address the lingering crisis and ensure the restoration of peace and order.
“It has become 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 with effect from March 18,” Tinubu said.
As part of the state of emergency, the president announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the state house of assembly for an initial period of six months. The move is aimed at facilitating a reset of governance in the state.
In their place, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) has been appointed as the Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state.
“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,” the President announced.
The declaration does not extend to the judicial arm of Rivers State, which will continue to function as mandated by the Constitution.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the declaration does not affect the judicial arm of the state, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate,” Tinubu clarified.
While Vice Admiral Ibas will oversee governance in Rivers State, his powers will be limited to regulatory functions. The President emphasized that the Administrator would not be permitted to enact 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,” Tinubu explained.
Tinubu expressed optimism that the state of emergency would pave the way for a return to peace and constitutional governance in Rivers State. He assured Nigerians that the intervention aligns with constitutional provisions and has been documented in the Federal Gazette, with a copy sent to the National Assembly as required by law.
“It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State. It will awaken all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole,” he added.
