Tinubu Dismisses Rivers State Governor, Deputy, and Appoints Caretaker Govt.

President Bola Tinubu has declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State. This announcement, made during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday evening, includes the immediate suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

By this declaration, 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 stated.

To ensure continuity of governance and maintain stability, President Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Administrator of Rivers State. The President clarified that this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate.

This declaration follows  security incident: an explosion on the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area. The blast occurred late Monday night near the Bodo-Bonny Road construction site, resulting in a massive fire and thick black smoke engulfing the area.

While the exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation, there are concerns about potential sabotage, especially given recent threats by militant groups reacting to the Federal Government’s decision to withhold Rivers State’s allocation amidst the political crisis.

Recall that during a plenary session on Monday, 26 lawmakers presented letters to Speaker Martin Amaewhule, accusing Fubara of gross misconduct. They alleged that he engaged in reckless and unconstitutional expenditure of public funds, obstructed the legislative arm of government, and made appointments without legislative approval. The letters, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), were transmitted to the governor and his deputy. Setting the stage for a potential impeachment process.

Last week, Governor Siminalayi Fubara State was prevented from accessing the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt. Fubara and his entourage were met with locked gates at the entrance of the assembly quarters, which served as the legislative chamber for the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the state assembly. This faction is aligned with Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), deepening the rift between the governor and his predecessor.

The development follows a March 3 directive from the Rivers Assembly, which gave Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to lawmakers under reinstated Speaker Martin Amaewhule. The order came after a resolution passed during the 130th Legislative Day of the Second Session of the Tenth Assembly.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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