There is noticeable tension in Rivers State as a result of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a State of Emergency.
The Intercept reported that President Tinubu announced a State of Emergency in Rivers on Tuesday during a national broadcast, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and every member of the House of Assembly for six months due to the ongoing political unrest in the state.
As a result, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) was appointed by the president to serve as administrator and oversee state affairs for the first six months.
According to The Intercept, Rivers State was thrown into political turmoil in 2024 when Governor Fubara became estranged from his predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike.
Attempts by President Tinubu and other influential politicians to mediate a reconciliation between the two and their supporters failed, as approximately 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who were loyal to Wike joined the conflict.
The lawmakers, whose seats were declared vacant after they allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), were reinstated by a recent Court decision.
The governor and the 27 lawmakers, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, have engaged in a number of verbal altercations since their reinstatement on February 28, according to The Intercept.
Earlier, the governor screamed that the Assembly members were impeding his attempts to carry out the Supreme Court’s ruling, but the legislators rejected the accusation.
Impeachment notice
The Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule started the impeachment process against Governor Fubara and his deputy on Monday, sparking the anxiety that has been engulfing Rivers State.
A notice of suspected grave misconduct was delivered to Fubara and Prof. Odu by the lawmakers loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Wike, indicating that the impeachment process was about to begin.
The Speaker received a notification outlining the alleged misbehaviour as a follow-up to a letter signed by 26 Assembly members on March 14, 2025.
On Monday, March 17, 2025, Speaker Amaewhule submitted the notification to the governor and his deputy in two different letters that he signed.
Oil pipeline explosion
The Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP), a significant oil pipeline in Bodo, Gokana local government area of Rivers State, was blown up by armed persons suspected of being militants just hours after the impeachment notices were served.
The impacted portion of the large pipeline was allegedly on fire on Tuesday morning, inflicting significant damage, even though the event happened on Monday night.
While verifying the occurrence, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the Rivers State Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, told The Intercept that two people had been taken into custody concerning it.
Similarly, the fear was heightened on Tuesday night when President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency after another explosion was recorded at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Declaration of State of Emergency
President Tinubu became the third Nigerian leader to declare a state of emergency in a state since the nation’s restoration to democracy in May 1999, according to The Intercept.
Tinubu’s State of Emergency in Rivers followed a protracted political crisis in the state, while former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in Plateau State on May 18, 2004, due to bloodletting violence between Muslim and Christian communities, and Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency throughout the northeast on May 14, 2013, due to the insurgency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States.
According to President Tinubu, his decision was prompted by the desire to put an end to the protracted issue and restore calm in Rivers.
Some stakeholders, however, took issue with the proclamation, arguing that it was “unconstitutional” for the president to suspend an elected governor and his deputy.
State of Emergency is not good for our democracy – Labour Party laments
In an interview, the Labour Party’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, denounced the suspension of Governor Fubara and his deputy.
Obiora urged the National Assembly to conduct a thorough investigation into the issue, voicing concerns about the State of Emergency’s effects on Nigerian democracy.
He said, “The State of Emergency is not good for our democracy and I think that the members of the National Assembly should look at this critically and see how they can resolve the matter.
“I’m not sure if the suspension of an elected Governor and his deputy is in line with the constitution.
“I was hoping that the issue of administration would be taken care of, but removing elected officials, I don’t think that is good for us as Nigerians”.
Tinubu’s speech shows he took sides with Wike – PDP chieftain
President Tinubu was accused by Dr. Adejor Anthony, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of siding with the FCT Minister on the Rivers issue.
According to Adejor, “Tinubu knows very well that Wike is the architect of the entire problem yet he pretends like he doesn’t know.
“In his speech, Tinubu didn’t say anything about Wike’s recent outbursts with respect to the issues in Rivers State. It was not even up to 24 hours after Wike granted an interview where he said Fubara could be impeached that those his boys served the governor impeachment notice.
“Tinubu and Wike are playing with Rivers people’s lives. This move may not go down well. Rivers State is not Lagos State. Why are they provoking these people?
READ ALSO: Defence Minister Defends Emergency Rule in Rivers, Pins Blame on Fubara
“The Niger Delta people have been silent for a very long time, the militancy also reduced drastically but nobody can guarantee you that with this development things will still remain the same.
“Tinubu should have at least warned Wike to stay away from Rivers politics and focus on his current assignment as FCT Minister, but no, they all want to crucify Fubara for refusing to play their transactional politics”.
Suspension of Governor Fubara may spark up another crisis – Dr Yunusa Tanko warns
Obidient Movement Worldwide’s national coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said that the governor’s suspension and the proclamation of a state of emergency might lead to another crisis that the government is ill-equipped to manage.
According to Yunusa, “the situation was poorly managed right from the beginning. It was very clear that those who had already manipulated the system and perpetuated the crime against the people wanted to continue in that light.
“Now they are facing stiff resistance from those they put into power. Unfortunately, the common people of Rivers State are the ones feeling the heat at the moment.
“Warning should have been given to those who think that they are lords and that everything that comes into the state must come through them.
“It is very clear that they want to use this incident to hijack the governance of Rivers State and this is unacceptable to the good people of the state.
“I would have strongly advised that they allow the fate of the people of Rivers State to triumph as against the personal interest of these individuals. It is obvious that personal interests have prevailed against the collective interests of the people.
“The way they are going about this situation may spark up another crisis that even the government itself may not be able to handle.
“They should have warned those godfathers, who believe that everything must pass through them”.
Situation in Rivers State Justifies Declaration of State of Emergency – Lawyer
Barrister Mathew A. Abakpa, a lawyer from Rivers State, said that President Tinubu’s actions are justified by the worsening political situation in Rivers State.
Additionally, he said that if the president of Nigeria declares a state of emergency, he “has the power under section 305 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, to suspend both the governor and the House of Assembly.”
He said, “The situation in Rivers State justifies the proclamation of a state of emergency in the state. This was however instigated by the Supreme Court decision and certain pronouncements in the case recently decided, which acknowledged the 27 publicly defected lawmakers and ordered the governor to present the state’s budget to them.
“This results in a serious crisis as the lawmakers are not interested in the budget presentation but impeachment of the governor. The last stroke that broke the camel’s back was the service of an impeachment notice on the governor by the 27 Lawmakers.
“In fierce response to the notice of impeachment, some criminals have blown up oil pipelines in the State.
“This creates a situation of break down of law and order and actual threat of lawlessness in the state, which are grounds for declaring a state of emergency under the constitution. The situation can be described as an offspring of bad politics”.
The Nigerian military occupied the Rivers Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday night in accordance with Tinubu’s declaration, according to information obtained by The Intercept.
Additionally, our reporter learnt that certain organisations are organising a showdown in support of the governor in several regions of the state.
