Tinubu Declares State of Emergency in Rivers Amid Political Crisis, Appoints Vice Admiral Ibas (Rtd) As Sole Administrator

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared the state of emergency in the state of rivers, citing an prolonged political crisis and by climbing security threats, including attacks against oil pipelines.

The announcement occurred during a national program Tuesday evening, marking a dramatic intervention in the governance of the region rich in oil in Nigeria.

The decision follows months of troubles 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 the efforts of the President himself, no resolution was reached.

Chronology of the crisis

The political conflict in the rivers intensified at the end of 2023 when Governor Fubara and his allies of the State legislature clashed on state control. On December 13, 2023, the governor ordered the demolition of the rowers’ chamber of state, citing structural defects. However, many have considered this decision as an attempt to weaken the legislative arm after 27 legislators were defective from his party to the opposition. The assembly remained non -functional for 14 months, which actually stopped legislative governance in the state.

Attempts to mediate the crisis failed, including the interventions of Nigerians and well -intentioned stakeholders. On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court judged that the governor had acted unconstitutionally by making the legislature helpless, declaring that “a government cannot be considered one of the three weapons that make up the government of a state”.

The court argued that the 27 legislators have definitively made valid members of the House of the Assembly, rejecting any attempt to exclude them. However, the decision failed to restore order as political blocking persisted.

Security threats and presidential action

The crisis took a violent turn when activists, who were allegedly faithful to the governor, threatened political opponents. In recent days, attacks on oil infrastructure has aroused new concerns. According to the security reports cited by President Tinubu, several oil oleagnes were vandalized between Monday and Tuesday, which caused 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 certain activists without the governor taking no measure to reduce them,” said Tinubu in his address. “I gave a severe order to the security agencies to ensure the safety of the life of good people in the rivers and oleagnes.”

Despite the climbing of the crisis, neither the Governor Fubara nor his assistant led to the president of intervention. Tinubu justified his decision, arguing that the severity of the situation did not give him the choice.

“With all these elements and many others, no good and responsible president will allow the serious situation to continue without taking reparation measures prescribed by the Constitution,” he said. “It has become inevitably convincing for me to invoke the provision of article 305 of the Constitution to declare the state of emergency in the state of rivers with effect today, March 18, 2025, and I too.”

Under the emergency rule, a federal administrator should take control of governance in the state of rivers, putting the touch of the elected government. Thus, the president appointed the vice-admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a retirement vice-admiral, who was the 22nd naval staff chief (SNC) of the Nigerian Navy from 2015 to 2021, as a single administrator.

Reaction on “Too much overcoming”

Tinubu’s decision has aroused strong criticism from opposition personalities and civil society groups, who consider it an excessive executive power. Many Nigerians argue that the crisis, although severe, does not justify suspending democratic governance in one of the most crucial states in the country.

“Tinubu has no legal right or foundation to suspend a democratically elected governor. Even in the state of emergency, article 305 of the Constitution does not give the president the power to suspend a governor or the assembly chambers of their work, “said rights activist, Rinu Oduala.

Some legal experts wondered if the president had followed a regular procedure, noting that the Nigerian Constitution forces the governor to request an emergency declaration – something that Fubara has not done. Tinubu justified his move by arguing that the governor and his assistant had “failed” to make such a request despite the worsening of the crisis.

Economic fallout

Beyond political implications, analysts warn that the imposition of a state of emergency in rivers, the “base in the treasury” of Nigeria, could have disastrous economic consequences. The state represents an important part of the country’s oil production, which feeds the income and exchange gains of Nigeria.

Kelvin Emmanuel, economic analyst, warned that the decision endangers a third of the daily production of Nigeria in danger.

“34.6% of barrels of 1.47 m in daily production of crude oil at 508,000 barrels are in danger with this current martial law,” he said.

Financial analyst Kalu Aja raised concerns about Nigeria’s economic stability, declaring that the decision could affect the country’s risks and increase borrowing costs.

“Nigeria, your risk rating has just fallen a notch. Yes, this means that your loan costs will increase, “he noted.

AJA also asked whether an administrator appointed by the federal government could effectively manage the rivers economy, in particular to obtain investments.

“No serious investor will sign any agreement with a soldier in a democracy,” he said. “Can a single administrator borrow? What mandate? Can a single administrator issue contracts? ”