In a televised broadcast to the nation on Tuesday evening, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a prolonged political crisis that has crippled the state’s governance.
The declaration, which takes immediate effect, will last for an initial period of six months.
As a result, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have been suspended.
President Tinubu has nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during this period.
The president’s decision follows a series of disturbing incidents, including the vandalism of oil pipelines by militants and the failure of the governor and lawmakers to work together.
Despite personal interventions and efforts by well-meaning Nigerians, the crisis has persisted, prompting the president to take decisive action.
The declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which will continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate.
Read also:JUST IN: Explosion Rocks Trans-Niger Pipeline in Rivers State
The administrator will not have the power to make new laws but can formulate regulations subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council and promulgation by the president.
This development comes on the heels of a Supreme Court judgment that reinstated 27 lawmakers who had been embroiled in a dispute with Governor Fubara.
The court’s decision had effectively rendered the state’s governance structure dysfunctional, prompting President Tinubu’s intervention.
