Rivers crisis: All you need to know about state of emergency as Tinubu appoints sole administrator

• President Tinubu declared a authorities of exigency successful Rivers state, citing governmental instability and invoking Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution
• The National Assembly controversially backed Tinubu's decision, which led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and authorities lawmakers for six months
• Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed arsenic the sole administrator, portion subject unit were deployed to support information and support lipid infrastructure
• Legit.ng compiled important details astir the State of Emergency and what volition hap successful Rivers State now

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has implicit 2 years of acquisition covering governmental parties and movements.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency for Rivers State, implicit the governmental situation and instability successful the oil-rich south-south state.

Fubara was suspended for six months by Tinubu aft the declaration of a authorities of exigency successful Rivers state Photo credit: Sir Siminalayi Fubara
Source: Facebook

Tinubu besides suspended Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers authorities governor, his lawman and members of the authorities House of Assembly for six months.

"No bully and liable president volition standby and let the sedate concern to proceed without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to code the situation," Tinubu said arsenic helium invoked conception 305 of the Nigerian constitution to state a authorities of exigency successful Rivers state.

His determination of an exigency regularisation successful Rivers authorities was, however, backed by the National Assembly successful a controversial dependable vote that has been heavy faulted and generated criticism successful the polity.

State of emergency: What did conception 305 of the constitution say?

According to Section 305(3) of the Constitution, the president tin lone state a authorities of exigency nether circumstantial circumstances, including:

• War oregon imminent war: If Nigeria is astatine warfare oregon faces an imminent penetration (Section 305(3)(a) & (b)).
• Breakdown of nationalist order: If determination is simply a implicit breakdown of instrumentality and bid that requires bonzer measures to reconstruct bid (Section 305(3)(c)).
• Threat to nationalist order: If determination is simply a wide and contiguous information of specified a breakdown (Section 305(3)(d)).
• Natural catastrophe oregon calamity: If an occurrence, specified arsenic an epidemic, flood, oregon earthquake, affects a conception of the state (Section 305(3)(e)).
• Other nationalist dangers: If immoderate different superior concern threatens the beingness of the Federation (Section 305(3)(f)).
• Request from a authorities governor: If a authorities politician requests a authorities of exigency owed to information oregon nationalist bid concerns, provided the authorities legislature supports the petition by a two-thirds bulk (Section 305(3)(g) & (4)).

Tinubu swears successful the sole head of Rivers state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas’ (CFR), astatine the State House. Photo credit: @DOlusegun
Source: Twitter

What is simply a authorities of exigency and its accusation successful Rivers state?

The declaration of a authorities of exigency is 1 of the astir bonzer powers granted to the president of Nigeria nether the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

It is designed to code situations that airs terrible threats to nationalist safety, nationalist security, oregon governance.

However, this powerfulness is taxable to strict law provisions to forestall abuse.

During this period, immoderate quality rights of the radical mightiness beryllium suspended depending connected the seriousness of the substance that led to the declaration.

But arsenic it stands successful Rivers state, President Tinubu has appointed a caller sole administrator to oversee the state, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and charged him with the absorption of the authorities without enacting caller laws for an archetypal six months play that the authorities of exigency volition last.

Tinubu's announcement followed months of escalating tensions betwixt Governor Fubara and cardinal governmental figures, including his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, present the curate of the Federal Capital Territory.

Interestingly, a authorities of exigency initially lasts six months (Section 305(6)(c)). The National Assembly can widen it for further six-month periods if necessary, done different solution passed by a two-thirds bulk (Section 305(6)(c), provison).

The beingness of subject unit volition summation present successful Rivers state, particularly arsenic President Tinubu said helium has charged them with the sole work and informing to support lives and lipid pipelines successful the state.

Timeline: Other Nigerian presidents declared a authorities of emergency

Many criticised Tinubu for suspending Fubara amid his rift with FCT curate Nyesom Wike. Photo credit: Sir Siminalayi Fubara, Lere Olayinka
Source: Facebook

The past clip erstwhile a authorities of exigency was declared successful Nigeria was 12 years ago, erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan declared authorities of exigency successful 3 states successful the north-east portion - Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States - pursuing the Boko Haram insurgency.

Other times authorities of exigency was declared successful Nigeria are:

Plateau State - 2004:

On May 18, 2004, President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, declared a authorities of exigency successful Plateau state. owed to convulsive taste and spiritual clashes.

Obasanjo suspended the politician who is besides the authorities legislature astatine that time, Joshua Dariye, and appointed Chris Alli, a retired service wide arsenic the sole administrator.

Aggrieved, the Plateau authorities and the authorities location of assembly challenged the president’s actions earlier the ultimate tribunal successful a suit marked SC. 113/2004 and filed connected June 24, 2004.

The concern lasted from May 18, until November, 18, 2024, erstwhile Dariye returned to office.

Delivering judgement connected January 20, 2006, a seven-member sheet of the apex tribunal led by Muhammadu Uwais, erstwhile main justness of Nigeria, struck retired the lawsuit connected jurisdictional grounds.

Ekiti State - 2006:

In October 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a authorities of exigency successful Ekiti State pursuing a governmental situation that led to the impeachment of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Accusations of corruption and governance failures created a tense atmosphere, necessitating the suspension of antiauthoritarian structures.

A retired subject officer, Tunji Olurin, was appointed arsenic the sole head until normalcy was restored.

3. Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States (2013-2015)

The astir extended authorities of exigency successful Nigeria’s past occurred nether President Goodluck Jonathan successful May 2013.

It affected Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States owed to the escalating Boko Haram insurgency.

As reported by The Cable and BusinessDay newspaper, the Islamist militant radical was liable for wide violence, bombings, and abductions.

The declaration allowed for accrued subject intervention, curfews, and restrictions to combat coercion and the exigency regularisation was extended aggregate times until 2015, erstwhile a caller medication took over.

Jonathan suspended the governors and the authorities assemblies of the 3 states.

BBC besides confirmed the improvement successful its latest publication.

Read much astir Rivers situation here:

• Rivers exigency rule: “What Wike stands to payment from Tinubu’s declaration,” Top expert speaks
• Rivers exigency rule: “What Tinubu’s declaration volition origin successful Niger Delta region,” expert speaks

5 things that person happened since the authorities of exigency successful Rivers

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the authorities of exigency declared successful Rivers authorities connected March 18, 2025, and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara has continued to make concerns successful the polity.

While galore politicians and salient figures, including ex-President Jonathan and Wole Soyinka criticised President Tinubu's action, the National Assembly's support of the exigency regularisation done a arguable dependable ballot besides drew beardown criticism.

In the aftermath of the caller developments successful Rivers state, Legit.ng outlined five things that person occurred pursuing Tinubu's declaration successful the oil-rich region.

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Source: Legit.ng