Text aired by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, announces a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Nigerians, I feel very upset when we are about the political crisis in Rivers. Like many of you, I have been paying attention to development and hope that all parties involved can prevail as soon as possible, but all hopes are burned without any resolution of the crisis.
As the crisis continues, the democratic governance we have struggled and worked for years cannot thrive in a way that benefits the good people of the country. The country has been in a state of stagnation since the start of the crisis, and the good people of the country cannot get dividends from democracy.
Likewise, the public knows that the governor of Rivers State has demolished the State House of Representatives on December 13, 2023, for unreasonable reasons, and has not been rebuilt until now, 14 (14) months later. I have made personal interventions between competing parties to resolve the peaceful resolution of the crisis, but the parties to the crisis have largely ignored my efforts. I also know that many well-meaning Nigerians, thought leaders and patriotic groups have also stepped in at different times to resolve the best intentions of the matter, but all their efforts have no help. However, I thank them.
On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court appealed in a judgment on eight combined appeals about the political crisis of the River State, based on several serious unconstitutional acts and ignored the rule committed by the River State governor, a clear government saying: “No one said: “No one said: “No one said: “A government mobilizer said: “A weapon mobilizer said: amended.”
The above statement follows the catalogue of judicial rulings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In their judgment, and found and believed that the 27 members of the House who allegedly defected “remained as valid members of the Rivers State Capitol and could not prevent the eighth respondent (i.e. the governor) from participating in the House’s lawsuit with four members”
Then, the Supreme Court issued some orders to restore the state to an immediate constitutional democracy. The orders include the immediate appropriation bill for the Rivers State Capitol, which has not been promoted so far.
Some militants threatened to threaten fire and sulfur against the governor’s enemies they perceived, and until now, they have not rejected them.
Apart from that, neither the house nor the governor worked together.
Neither of them realized that they worked together for peace and good governance of the country during their tenure.
The latest security reports I provide show that yesterday and today there were some activists causing incidents of pipeline damage and the governor did nothing to cut them down. Of course, I have given harsh orders to the security agencies to ensure the lives of good people in Rivers State and oil pipelines.
With all this and more, no good and responsible president will be on standby and allow the constitutional remedies to continue to resolve the situation in the state, which undoubtedly requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order, order, order and security.
In the circumstances, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Department 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 Starting today on March 18, 2025, the emergency in Rivers State, I do the same.
According to this declaration, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers, his agent, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the National Assembly of Rivers hereby suspended for the early period of six months.
At the same time, I hereby nominate Deputy Admiral Ibokette Ibas (RTD) as an administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state, in the interests of the good people of Livers. To avoid doubt, the declaration will not affect the judiciary of the river state and the declaration shall continue to operate in accordance with its constitutional mandate.
Administrators will not enact any new laws. However, he will be free to make regulations, which may be necessary to do his job, but such regulations will require approval and approval from the Federal Executive Committee and promulgated by the state president.
The statement has been published in the Federal Gazette, which has been forwarded to the National Assembly under the Constitution. I am very hopeful that this inevitable intervention will be bound by bringing all competitors to the conquest of constitutional powers by all competitors, especially for all political participants in the River State and for all Nigeria.
Long live, especially the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially the unified, peaceful, secure and democratic river states.
