Despite significant opposition to the presidential declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich Rivers State, Nigeria’s two primary legislative bodies endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation made on March 18, 2025, prior to the 48-hour limit set by the 1999 Constitution.
In separate voice votes, which have faced criticism, both the 109-member Senate and the 360-member House of Representatives, largely influenced by the president’s party, backed the emergency measures implemented by the commander-in-chief in the Niger Delta region.
In a nationwide address on March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
The president justified his actions by referencing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that he could not stand by as the political climate in Rivers deteriorated without intervening.
Following this declaration, Tinubu appointed and inaugurated retired naval chief Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as the sole administrator for the oil-rich state.
The suspension of Fubara and other elected officials has been met with strong disapproval from numerous prominent Nigerians, legal experts, and organizations, including 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.
Conversely, the emergency rule has received support from lawmakers aligned with pro-Nyesom Wike, who accused Fubara of violating a Supreme Court ruling regarding the political situation in the state. For the past two years, Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, and his former political ally Fubara have been in conflict over control of the state’s political framework.
The most recent instance of a president declaring a state of emergency in Nigeria occurred on May 14, 2013, when Goodluck Jonathan enacted it across the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, which were plagued by insurgency.
During a briefing at the State House on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, defended the president’s position, specifically attributing the failure to implement the Supreme Court’s decisions from February 28, 2025, regarding the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State to Fubara.
Fagbemi characterized the declaration of emergency rule as a potential lifeline for Fubara, who was facing impeachment proceedings initiated by lawmakers aligned with Wike.
The justice minister urged those opposed to the president’s action to direct their efforts towards the National Assembly in order to challenge the president’s decision. He also mentioned that the state’s withheld allocations could potentially be released to the new administrator.
