* Tinubu
By Pathfinder Reporter
Tuesday March 18, 2025
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu and the House of Assembly for six months.
The president appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the sole administrator.
Tinubu made the proclamation during a nationwide broadcast.
He said, “The governor of Rivers State demolished the House of Assembly but has failed to rebuild the building till date
“Many Nigerians have intervened and leaders of thought have intervened all to no avail.
“The Supreme Court pronounced in very glaring terms that a government cannot run without an arm of government.
“The latest security report shows that there has been vandalism of oil pipelines in Rivers State and the governor has not taken any step.
“Based on the Section 305 of the constitution of the country, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months,” he said in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.”
The crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly stems from a deep political rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The conflict began shortly after Fubara took office in May 2023, despite Wike’s instrumental role in securing his election victory under the platform of the PDP.
Tensions between Fubara and Wike emerged when Fubara began consolidating power and asserting independence from Wike’s political influence. This reportedly angered Wike, who had expected to maintain significant control over the state’s political structure even after leaving office.
In December 2023, the conflict escalated when 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly, who were loyal to Wike, defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers cited internal party disputes and loss of confidence in the PDP leadership as reasons for their defection. Their departure left Fubara with minimal legislative support, threatening his ability to govern effectively.
Before the defection, the assembly, dominated by pro-Wike lawmakers, had initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara in October 2023. Fubara responded by attempting to dissolve the assembly, leading to a physical confrontation and the burning of the state assembly complex.
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