President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deployed armed security operatives, including the Nigerian Army, to occupy the Rivers State Government House following his suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
A video on Monday evening shows several military vans filled with armed operatives heading toward the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt.
This comes shortly after President Tinubu, during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing political instability and security concerns.
“The decision to declare a state of emergency is not taken lightly, but it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provisions of Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended,” Tinubu announced.
By this declaration, Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
To oversee the state’s affairs, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Administrator of Rivers State.
The crisis in Rivers State stems from a deepening political feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Supreme Court’s ruling on February 28, 2025, further complicated the crisis, as it has been seen by some analysts as going beyond the scope of the original case.
The PDP accused the court of bias, stating that the ruling effectively legitimized the lawmakers’ defection and paved the way for the federal government’s intervention.
