President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following protracted political crises caused by a power struggle between the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister.
The crises affected governance and crippled the legislature in the oil-rich state.
“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,” Mr Tinubu said in a nationwide speech in which he declared the state of emergency.
“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 said.
Tinubu heaps blame on Fubara
One thing that stood out in Mr Tinubu’s speech was that the president blamed Mr Fubara while he stayed silent on Mr Wike’s role in the crises.
He mentioned how Mr Fubara demolished the Rivers House of Assembly Complex on 13 December 2023 and “has, up until now, 14 months after, not rebuilt same.”
Mr Tinubu dwelled extensively on the 28 February 2025 Supreme Court judgement, which tipped the balance of power in favour of Mr Wike and his allies.
He referenced a portion of the judgement which said the suspended governor chose “to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot”.
He also said that the Supreme Court, in its judgement, read out “a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.”
Mr Tinubu also referenced the Supreme Court reinstatement of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers as legitimate members of the Rivers House of Assembly and quoted the court ruling that said Mr Fubara cannot prevent the lawmakers from taking part in the assembly’s proceedings.
He said the governor had yet to implement the Supreme Court order on the presentation of the 2025 Rivers appropriation bill to the pro-Wike lawmakers.
Gists9ja reported that Mr Fubara attempted to present a budget proposal to the assembly but was rebuffed by the pro-Wike lawmakers. When he visited the assembly quarters to present the budget, he was denied access to the facility.
“Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them,” Mr Tinubu said.
“The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
“Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together,” he added.
