Tinubu consulted the National Assembly before declaring a State of Emergency in Rivers, the Reps Spokesperson has said.
Epe Insights had reported earlier that the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria.
The President announced this in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday evening, March 18, 2025, citing the political crisis and instability in the state as the reason for his decision.
President Tinubu said the governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and all members of the Rivers assembly are “hereby suspended for an initial period of six months”.
“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,” President Tinubu said.
In the broadcast, President Tinubu announced the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, a former chief of naval staff, as the administrator of Rivers State.
According to the broadcast, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas will be responsible for overseeing the affairs of Rivers State for at least six months.
President Tinubu said the administrator will manage the state without enacting new laws but may issue regulations subject to federal executive council approval and presidential promulgation.
The President said the judicial arm of Rivers state remains unaffected and will continue its constitutional duties.
He said his intervention, published in the federal gazette and shared with the national assembly, seeks to restore peace and order in the troubled state.
“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,” the president said in a televised broadcast.
Reacting to the declaration, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, says President Bola Tinubu consulted the national assembly before announcing a state of emergency in Rivers state.
In a statement, Rotimi said the National Assembly “was duly consulted” by President Tinubu before reaching the decision.
The Reps Spokesman said Tinubu met with the leadership of the national assembly, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Abbas Tajudeen, speaker of the house; Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker; Michael Bamidele, senate leader; and Julius Ihonvbere, leader of the house; and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), before the broadcast.
According to him, Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP); Adeola Ajayi, director-general of the State Security Service (SSS); and Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), also attended the meeting.
“During this meeting, they were fully briefed on Mr. President’s intentions, and all present unanimously expressed their support,” the statement reads.
The Reps Spokesperson added that President Tinubu’s letter informing the House of representatives of his decision and seeking approval on the state of emergency in Rivers in line with section 305 of the constitution has been transmitted to the green chamber and would be read during plenary on Wednesday for further legislative action.
