Less than 24 hours after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu met with the appointed sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, at the Presidential Villa. Ibas arrived at the villa around 12:48 PM (local time) on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Tinubu announced the state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. In a national broadcast, the President cited ongoing political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as justifications for this extraordinary measure.
The turmoil in Rivers State has been attributed to a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu appointed Ibas to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored.
In his announcement, Tinubu stated, “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, the governor and deputy governor have failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation… Therefore, it has become compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution.”
He reiterated that the declaration does not affect the judiciary of Rivers State, which will continue to operate within its constitutional mandate.
