President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Tinubu made the proclamation during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.
Tinubu also suspended the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
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.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State strongly criticised the Supreme Court over its recent judgment regarding the defection of 27 lawmakers from the Rivers State House of Assembly and the seizure of the state’s monthly statutory allocation.
The party in a statement issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt by its Acting Chairman in Rivers State, Hon Nname Robinson Ewor, at the end of the party’s State Working Committee conference, accused the apex court of bias and granting reliefs on matters that were not presented before it.
The controversy followed the Supreme Court’s ruling on February 28, 2025, which addressed the presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bill by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
However, the PDP claimed that the court went further to make determinations on issues the litigants did not initiate and commenced action on including the membership status of the 27 lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as the withholding of Rivers State’s monthly allocation.
Background
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.
Political Fallout
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.
Defection of 27 Lawmakers
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.
Attempted Impeachment and Political Tensions
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.
