President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday evening, announcing that the emergency would take effect from March 18. Tinubu, expressing deep concern over the ongoing political crisis in the state, cited the demolition of the State House of Assembly building by Governor Siminilayi Fubara as a key factor in his decision.
In addition to declaring the emergency, President Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, for a period of six months. Furthermore, he suspended all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state.
The announcement was made shortly after a meeting that took place at the Presidential Villa, where the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu were present, along with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele. The meeting began around 3 p.m., hours after President Tinubu had consulted with his service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
In his statement, Tinubu clarified that the declaration would not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which would continue to function as required by the Constitution. He also emphasized that the appointed Administrator would not be responsible for creating new laws. However, he would have the authority to propose necessary regulations, subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council and formal promulgation by the President.