Tinubu declares State of Emergency in Rivers State

President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security concerns. The declaration, which takes immediate effect, has resulted in the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state’s House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, President Tinubu expressed concern over the escalating crisis, stating that governance in the state had been paralyzed and that all efforts to resolve the situation had failed.

“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,” the President said.

He noted that despite interventions by various stakeholders, including his personal efforts, the crisis remained unresolved.

“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.”

The crisis in Rivers State dates back to December 2023, when Governor Fubara’s administration demolished the State House of Assembly complex following a fire incident. Despite the outcry, the complex was not rebuilt, forcing legislative activities to be relocated to the Government House.

President Tinubu referenced this in his speech, stating:

“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.”

The situation worsened in October 2023 when a faction of lawmakers, allegedly backed by Fubara’s predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, attempted to impeach the governor. This led to a divided legislature, with conflicting claims to legitimacy.

Despite the intervention of the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025, which ruled that Rivers State was effectively without a functioning government, the crisis persisted. The President quoted the court’s ruling, which stated:

“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.”


Citing security concerns, including recent reports of pipeline vandalism by militants, President Tinubu noted that Governor Fubara had failed to take necessary actions to address these threats.

“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 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,” he said.

Given the breakdown of governance, the President invoked his constitutional powers under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to declare a state of emergency.

“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.”

To oversee the state’s affairs during the emergency period, President Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Administrator of Rivers State. He clarified that the judiciary would not be affected by the declaration and would continue to function as mandated by the constitution.

“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,” the President announced.

“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, however, will not be permitted to enact new laws. Instead, he may formulate necessary regulations, subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council.


President Tinubu reassured Nigerians that the intervention was aimed at restoring peace and constitutional order in Rivers State.

“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 declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette and forwarded to the National Assembly for ratification, in accordance with constitutional provisions.

The suspension of Governor Fubara and his administration is expected to trigger political and legal debates, particularly among opposition parties and stakeholders in Rivers State. Meanwhile, security agencies have been directed to maintain law and order, ensuring the safety of residents and critical infrastructure.

As Rivers State enters this new phase under emergency rule, all eyes will be on the appointed Administrator and how the situation unfolds in the coming months.