In separate voice votes that have been widely criticized, both the 109-member Senate and the 360-member House of Representatives largely controlled by the president’s party endorsed the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Tinubu on Rivers State.
During a nationwide address on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the Niger Delta state, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
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Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu justified his decision by stating that he could no longer stand by as the political crisis in Rivers escalated. He swiftly appointed retired naval chief Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator to take charge of the state’s affairs.
However, the suspension of Fubara and other elected officials has been met with widespread condemnation from prominent Nigerians, legal experts, and various groups. Among those who have rejected Tinubu’s actions are Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Atedo Peterside, Nasir El-Rufai, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), among others.
On the other hand, the emergency rule has been welcomed by the pro-Nyesom Wike faction of the suspended lawmakers, who accused Fubara of disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s political crisis. For the past two years, Wike, the immediate-past governor, and his former ally-turned-rival Fubara have been embroiled in a power struggle over control of Rivers State’s political structure.
The last time emergency rule was imposed in Nigeria was on May 14, 2013, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan declared it in the insurgency-ravaged northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
Defending Tinubu’s decision at a State House briefing on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi blamed Fubara for failing to implement the Supreme Court’s February 28, 2025 directives regarding Rivers State’s political crisis.
Fagbemi argued that the emergency rule was effectively a lifeline for Fubara, who was already facing impeachment proceedings initiated by pro-Wike lawmakers. He advised those opposing the president’s decision to take their grievances to the National Assembly and push for a veto. The AGF further hinted that Rivers State’s frozen allocations could soon be released to the newly appointed administrator.
