President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu said the decision was necessary to restore stability amid the ongoing political crisis between the governor and state lawmakers.
“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.
To oversee governance during the emergency period, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas as the state’s administrator.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (retd.) 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 its constitutional mandate,” Tinubu said.
Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, the President stated that the proclamation had been published in the Federal Gazette and forwarded to the National Assembly.
“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,” he added.
