By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The embattled Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has sued for calm and peace among the  people, amidst the declaration of emergency in the State, and  his suspension from office for an initial six months.

President Bola Tinubu, in a move that has left not a few shocked and utterly  disappointed, on Tuesday, declared Emergency Rule in Rivers State, and, suspended, the Governor ,his Deputy and Members of the State House of  Assembly in the State.

The President cited  the breakdown of governance, potent threat to peace and  stability, as well as the need to restore sanity in  Rivers State, and the country as major reasons.

The declaration of a State Emergency by the President marks the climax of months of intense political struggle  for the control of the soul of Rivers State between  Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the  Federal Capital Territory Minister.

In a nationwide broadcast  Tuesday evening, President Tinbubu, appointed a former Chief of Naval Staff ,Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, as the Administrator of the State  for an initial period of six months.

However, reacting to the development Tuesday night March 18 ,2025  in a statement which he personally signed, Governor Fubara insisted that he has remained loyal to the peace, interest, and wellbeing of the State and the people ever since mounting the saddle in 2023.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the peace and stability of the State, the rule of law and democracy.

“I address you today with a deep sense of responsibility ,and calm as we navigate this unfortunate moment in our State’s political history.

“Since assuming office as your Governor, we have prioritized the protection of lives and property and ensured the continuous progress of our dear State.

“Even in the face of the political impasse, we have remained committed to constitutional order and the rule of law, putting the interest of our people above all else.

“This was why immediately after Mr President’s intervention to broker peace, we did not hesitate to implement the agreed terms in good faith, including welcoming back Commissioners who had previously resigned on their own volition.

“Furthermore, we moved swiftly to comply with the Supreme Court’s judgment after receiving the Certified True Copy of the judgment to return the State to normalcy.

“But unfortunately, at every turn,the Rivers State House of Assembly frustrated our efforts, thus making genuine peace and progress challenging.

Our priorities remained the security of lives and property, advancing the wellbeing, and prosperity of Rivers people .

“Yes, we have political disagreement, but good governance had continued, salaries have been paid, and great projects were being executed to move the State forward.

“Above all, Rivers state is safe, secure and peaceful under our watch. At this critical time, I urge all Rivers people to remain peaceful and law-abiding.

“We will engage with all relevant institutions to ensure that our democracy remains strong and that Rivers state ,continues to thrive.

“We have always been resilient people, and we will face this situation with wisdom, patience and unwavering faith in the democratic process”, the statement reads in part.

By Ayodele Oni

The National Assembly has confirmed that it was briefed about the emergency rule in Rivers State before President Bola Tinubu made the decision public.

Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi Jnr, stated that “I can confirm that the National Assembly was duly consulted by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in reaching this decision.

“The leadership of the National Assembly met with the President and the National Security Adviser ahead of the broadcast, alongside key security chiefs.

“During this meeting, they were fully briefed on Mr. President’s intentions, and all present unanimously expressed their support.

“Furthermore, Mr. President’s formal letter, informing the House of Representatives of his decision and seeking approval in line with Section 305 of the Constitution, has been transmitted and will be read during plenary tomorrow, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, with further legislative action to be debated and decided.”

Recall, however, that the briefing being referred to, was held same day as the emergency rule action was taken.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), holds a different opinion. In a reaction the NBA maintained that “The 1999 Constitution does not grant the President the power to remove an elected Governor, Deputy Governor, or members of a state’s legislature under the guise of a state of emergency.

“Rather, the Constitution provides clear procedures for the removal of a governor and Deputy Governor as per Section 188. Similarly, the removal of members of the House of Assembly and dissolution of parliament is governed by constitutional provisions and electoral laws, none of which appear to have been adhered to in the present circumstances.

“A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments. The Constitution does not empower the President to unilaterally remove or replace elected officials—such actions amount to an unconstitutional usurpation of power and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s federal structure.”

The NBA through its President,

Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, pointed out that “The purported removal of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly is therefore unconstitutional, unlawful, and a dangerous affront to our nation’s democracy.

“Furthermore, subsection (2) of Section 305 provides that: “A Proclamation issued by the President under this section shall cease to have effect—

(a) if it is not approved by a resolution of the National Assembly within two days when the National Assembly is in session; or

(b) if the National Assembly is not in session, within ten days after it reconvenes.”

“These provisions provide that a state of emergency declared by the President does not assume automatic validity. It requires legislative ratification within a defined timeframe to remain in effect.

“The NBA, therefore, emphasizes that unless the National Assembly duly approves the proclamation, the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State remains constitutionally inchoate and ineffective.

“In light of the foregoing, the Nigerian Bar Association:

• Affirms that the President does not have the constitutional power to remove an elected governor under a state of emergency.

“Any such action is an unconstitutional encroachment on democratic governance and the autonomy of state governments.

“Calls on the National Assembly to reject any unconstitutional attempt to ratify the removal of the Rivers State Governor and other elected officials. The approval of a state of emergency must be based on strict constitutional grounds, not political expediency.

“Warns that suspending elected officials under emergency rule sets a dangerous precedent that undermines democracy and could be misused to unseat elected governments in the future.

“Demands that all actions taken in Rivers State strictly conform to constitutional provisions and Nigeria’s democratic norms.

“Encourages all stakeholders, including the judiciary, civil society, and the international community, to closely monitor the situation in Rivers State to prevent unconstitutional governance and abuse of power.”

By Ayodele Oni

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith.

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In his Facebook post, the former Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) noted that “Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers.

“His blatant refusal — or calculated negligence — in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.

‘Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk.

“Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent.

“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations.

“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

By Ayodele Oni

Full Text of The Broadcast By President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Declaring State of Emergency in Rivers State

In response yo the dangerous political crisis in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu has declared a State of Emergency in the State.

The Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Dr Ngozi Ordu, as well as the All the Members of the State House of Assembly, have been suspended for six months.

The President took the step after a meeting he had Tuesday, March 18, with all Security Chiefs including the Inspector General of Police, DG, DSS, and the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Following the full broadcast  by the President.

TEXT OF THE BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2025

Fellow Nigerians, 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.

With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.

Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the  House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same. I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of thought and Patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.

On February 28, 2025, the supreme court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in very clear terms:

“a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”

The above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Going Forward in their judgment, and having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected

“are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”

The Supreme Court then made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy.  These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which up till now has not been facilitated.

Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them.

Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together.

Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.

The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.

With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.

In the circumstance,  having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy 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 of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th  March, 2025 and I so do.

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.

In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) 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 their constitutional mandate.

The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.

This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution. 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.

Long live a united, peaceful, secure and democratic Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole.

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Nigerian Bar  Association,  NBA, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, warned against any attempt by parties to drag the Judiciary into the festering political crisis in Rivers State.

The NBA’s cautionary note is coming on the heels of last week’s resolution of the Martin Amaewfule-led pro-Wike House of Assembly, inviting the Department of State Services, DSS, to investigate the State’s Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi over alleged age falsification.

But not a few are seeing the move as a clear case of intimidation and blackmail designed to force the Chief Judge into playing along with the lawmakers in their desperate bid to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

A stubborn Chief Judge is sure to truncate any impeachment plot against the Governor through the instrumentality of a  Judicial probe panel

So far, this magazine  gathered that the Chief Judge has rebuffed the legislators’ entreaties to join in the impeachment plot.

Speaking on behalf of the eight local branches that make up the NBA Rivers State,Tamunosiki Roberts, the Chairman of Okirika branch pointedly described the Assembly’s resolution directing the DSS to investigate the Chief Judge over alleged age falsification as a subtle attempt to drag the Judiciary into the whole crisis.

While calling for the protection of the independence of the Judicial arm of Government, Roberts  warned that the attempt to co-opt the Judiciary into the political crisis amounts to a dangerous intrusion which has the potential to destabilize the State.

“We are not unaware of the existing political impasse between the Legislature and the Executive arms of Government of Rivers State.

“However, we must caution that the Judiciary should not be drawn into the ongoing imbroglio for no just cause.

“We reiterate that the independence of the Judiciary is crucial to the sustenance of peace and stability in the State as contending parties ultimately resort to the Judiciary for the resolution of disputes as has recently been witnessed at the Supreme Court.

“There is the need to deescalate tensions as the stability of Rivers state is crucial to the economy of the state and the country”, the NBA noted .

The umbrella body of legal practitioners further  warned that undermining the State Judiciary could lead to a replay of the ugly experience of 2014/2015 which led to the closure of Courts for almost a year.

“We cannot afford to experience a similar occurrence in the present times we find ourselves in the State and, especially, for the interest of the people of Rivers State to have their ongoing matters in Court without interruptions.

“The independence of the Judiciary is crucial to the sustenance of peace and stability in the State. Any  attempt to intimidate or blackmail Judicial officers could lead to chaos which we cannot afford”,  the NBA noted.

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Rivers State Government has strongly dismissed claims that former President Olusegun Obasanjo ,and  PANDEF delegation paid   solidarity visits to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, amidst the Rivers State political imbroglio.

The social media has been awash with reports that the former President, alongside elders from the Pan Niger Delta Forum visited the embattled Rivers state Governor at  the State’s seat of power, Port Harcourt.

A statement on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from the Governor’s media Aide, Nelson Chukwudi, described such reports as fictitious, intended to cause chaos and anarchy within the system.

According to him, the reports are the handiwork of those who do not want peace and good governance in Rivers state.

“Our attention has been drawn to a malicious post circulating on social media claiming that a delegation of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, paid a solidarity visit to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara at the Government House on Sunday  March,16, 2025 .

“There is also another planted by some people bent on causing chaos and anarchy in the State, alleging that former President Olusegun Obasanjo paid a visit to the Governor at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

“Ordinarily, we would not have responded to these spurious claims ,and obvious fake news on social media, but for the erroneous impression they may create on the minds of gullible and unsuspecting members of the public and, indeed, well-meaning Rivers people..

For that reason, let it be clarified that there was no such visit by any delegation of PANDEF to Governor Fubara on the said date, neither did Chief Obasanjo visit him as claimed by our detractors.

“So whatever the purveyors of the vexatious narratives are pushing on social media are only the imagination of enemies of the state who do not want peace ,good governance and even development that the present administration has been working hard to bequeath to the present and future generations .

“The Governor has made it abundantly clear that he would comply and implement, to the fullest, the judgment of the Supreme Court on the political crisis in the state”, the statement partly reads .

The Governor’s spokesman noted that he has already kick- started the processes leading to the implementation of the Court’s verdict, but regretted that the  Lawmakers have so far frustrated the Governor’s efforts.

According to Chukwudi, ,the Governor is ready, any day, anytime, to do the needful to ensure the resolution of the issues, and smooth functioning of all arms of Government in the State.

The Source reports that the  Rivers State’s political temperature has boiled over since the Supreme Court’s ruling of February 28, 2025, which, among other things, recognized the earlier defected 27 pro-Wike law makers as authentic members of the State’s Legislative Body.

Presently ,the battle of wits  between the Legislators and Governor Fubara is at the impeachment level.