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Rivers Crisis: Tinubu Declares State Of Emergency, Suspends Governor, Deputy, Legislators

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu

Replaces Fubara With Ibokette Ibas

As the political crisis between supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike deepened, President Bola Tinubu has declared a State of emergency in Rivers State. 

By the declaration, the President suspended Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State for an initial period of six months.

The President stated this on Tuesday during a nationwide broadcast on the political crisis in Rivers. 

He said: "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."

This is even as the President replaced Fubara with Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state. 

"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," he added.

News Rider reports that Tinubu had on Tuesday, March 11, 202, while addressing representatives and leaders of the Niger Delta under the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Abuja called for ceasefire given the political tension in the state. 

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