President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a prolonged political crisis and escalating security threats, including attacks on oil pipelines.
The announcement came during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday night, marking a dramatic intervention in the governance of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
The decision follows months of turmoil that have paralyzed governance in the state. The crisis began with a power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his political rivals, leading to the demolition of the state House of Assembly in December 2023. Despite multiple interventions, including efforts by the president himself, no resolution was reached.
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Timeline of the Crisis
The political conflict in Rivers escalated in late 2023 when Governor Fubara and his allies in the state legislature clashed over control of the state. On December 13, 2023, the governor ordered the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, citing structural defects. However, many viewed the move as an attempt to weaken the legislative arm after 27 lawmakers defected from his party to the opposition. The assembly has remained non-functional for 14 months, effectively shutting down legislative governance in the state.
Attempts to mediate the crisis failed, including interventions by well-meaning Nigerians and stakeholders. On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the governor had acted unconstitutionally by rendering the legislature powerless, stating that “a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state.”
The court upheld that the 27 defected lawmakers were still valid members of the House of Assembly, dismissing any attempt to exclude them. However, the ruling failed to restore order as the political gridlock persisted.
Security Threats and Presidential Action
The crisis took a violent turn when militants, reportedly loyal to the governor, threatened political opponents. In recent days, attacks on oil infrastructure stirred further concern. According to security reports cited by President Tinubu, multiple oil pipelines were vandalized between Monday and Tuesday, prompting an urgent response from the federal government.
“In the latest security reports made available to me, there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them,” Tinubu said in his address. “I have given a stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.”
Despite the escalating crisis, neither Governor Fubara nor his deputy reached out to the presidency for intervention. Tinubu justified his decision, arguing that the gravity of the situation left him with no choice.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution,” he said. “It has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025, and I so do.”
Under the emergency rule, a federal administrator is expected to take over governance in Rivers State, sidelining the elected government. Thus, the president has appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a retired Navy vice admiral, who was the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Nigerian Navy from 2015 to 2021, as the new Rivers Sole Administrator.
Backlash Over “Overreach”
Tinubu’s decision has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups, who see it as an overreach of executive power. Many Nigerians argue that the crisis, though severe, does not warrant suspending democratic governance in one of the country’s most crucial states.
“Tinubu has no legal rights or basis to suspend a democratically elected governor. Even in a state of emergency, section 305 of the Constitution does not give the President power to suspend any Governor or Houses of Assembly from their jobs,” rights activist, Rinu Oduala stated.
Some legal experts have questioned whether the president followed due process, noting that the Nigerian Constitution requires the governor to request an emergency declaration—something Fubara did not do. Tinubu justified his move by arguing that the governor and his deputy had “failed” to make such a request despite the worsening crisis.
Economic Fallout
Beyond the political implications, analysts warn that imposing a state of emergency in Rivers, Nigeria’s “treasure base,” could have dire economic consequences. The state accounts for a significant portion of the country’s oil production, which fuels Nigeria’s revenue and foreign exchange earnings.
Kelvin Emmanuel, an economic analyst, warned that the decision puts over a third of Nigeria’s daily crude oil output at risk.
“34.6% of 1.47m barrels of daily crude oil output at 508k barrels is at risk with this current martial law,” he said.
Financial analyst Kalu Aja raised concerns about Nigeria’s economic stability, stating that the decision could hurt the country’s risk rating and increase borrowing costs.
“Nigeria, your risk rating just fell another notch. Yes, this means your borrowing costs will go up,” he noted.
Aja also questioned whether a federally appointed administrator could effectively manage Rivers’ economy, especially in securing investments.
“No serious investor will sign any agreement with a military man in a democracy,” he said. “Can a sole administrator borrow? Whose mandate? Can a sole administrator issue contracts?”