President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday evening declared a state of emergency in Rivers State in a nationwide broadcast.

Citing the need to restore law and order, Tinubu announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State for an initial six months.

Tinubu announced the nomination of retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Rivers State administrator to steer the affairs of the state.

A few hours after the declaration, soldiers took over the Rivers Government House in Port Harcourt.

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An insider said the governor was still in his official residence in the Government House when the troops swarmed over the premises around 9 pm.

The source stated, ?Well, as I speak to you now, there are soldiers inside Government House but the governor is in his residence.?

Also, an Armoured Personnel Carrier was stationed at the entrance of the seat of power in the state overlooking the road.

Our correspondent, who visited the Government House along Azikiwe Road in Port Harcourt, at about 9pm observed several Sports Utility Vehicles outside the main gate with full lights on.

It could not be ascertained if the governor was about to leave the Government House.

Tension in Rivers

In many parts of the Port Harcourt metropolis, residents and motorists were seen rushing home to their families immediately after the news of the state of emergency filtered in.

People were also seen on the streets discussing the latest issue as some residents expressed dismay over the announcement and blamed the political actors for what happened.

Tinubu justifies action

In his broadcast, the President Tinubu said he was disturbed by the unfolding events in the state, which appeared to have defied political solutions, stalled development and progress and denied the people of the state the dividends of democracy.

He said, ?In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do.

?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.

?In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.?

The President clarified that the emergency declaration did not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which will continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate.

According to him, the Administrator will not make any new laws but is free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.

The declaration, he added, had been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which had been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution.

??It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State by awakening all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole,?? the President stated.

The declaration came a few hours after Tinubu summoned an emergency meeting with his service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa following double blasts at two different oil pipelines in Rivers State.

The meeting, which began at 3:00 pm, was attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Directors General of the State Security Service, Mr Adeola Ajayi and the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.

Also in attendance were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and other top government officials.

Fubara urges calm

Responding to his suspension by the President, Fubara, in a statement he personally signed, called for calm, saying, ?We will engage with all relevant institutions to ensure that our democracy remains strong and that Rivers State continues to thrive.?

In the statement titled, ?Press Release by the Executive Governor of Rivers State,? the suspended governor blamed the members of the state Assembly loyal to Wike, saying they frustrated all his attempts to comply with the verdict of the Supreme Court.

Fubara said, ?My dear Rivers People, I address you today with a deep sense of responsibility and calm, as we navigate this unfortunate moment in our state?s political history.

?Since assuming office as your governor, all my actions and decisions have been guided by my constitutional oath of office and a great sense of duty.

?We prioritised the protection of lives and property and ensured the continuous progress of our dear state.

?Even in the face of the political impasse, we have remained committed to constitutional order and the rule of law, putting the interest of our people above all else.

?This was why, immediately after Mr. President?s intervention to broker peace, we did not hesitate to implement the agreed terms in good faith, including welcoming back commissioners who had previously resigned on their own volition.

?Furthermore, we moved swiftly to comply with the Supreme Court?s judgement immediately we received the certified true copy of the judgment to return the state to normalcy.

?These steps were taken not for personal gains but to foster peace, unity and stability in our dear State.

?Unfortunately, at every turn, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly frustrated our efforts, thus making genuine peace and progress difficult.

?Our priorities remained the security of lives and property and advancing the well-being and prosperity of Rivers people.

?Yes, we have political disagreements, but good governance had continued, salaries have been paid, and great projects were being executed to move the state forward. Above all, Rivers State is safe, secure and peaceful under our watch.

?At this critical time, I urge all Rivers people to remain peaceful and law-abiding. We will engage with all relevant institutions to ensure that our democracy remains strong and that Rivers State continues to thrive.

?We have always been a resilient people, and we will face this situation with wisdom, patience, and unwavering faith in the democratic process.?

Explosions rock pipelines

Between late Monday and Tuesday double blasts were recorded at two different oil pipelines in Rivers State.

The first explosion rocked a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo Community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies crude oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.

The incident occurred late on Monday night near the Bodo-Bonny Road under construction.

It comes hours after the Rivers State House of Assembly served notice of misconduct against Fubara, an action seen as laying the ground for his planned impeachment by the lawmakers loyal to ex-Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

However, community sources attributed it to illegal bunkering, but Shell is yet to make any official statement on the incident.

A video seen by one of our correspondents showed a massive fire in a forest location.

Another explosion was reported on Tuesday morning at a pipeline manifold in Omwawriwa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The latest incident was said to be on a manifold connecting a federal line in the area, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the explosion and arrested two suspects in connection with the incident.

This came as some youths blocked the East-West Road in protest over the political crisis in the state.

It could not be confirmed if the blasts were connected to threats issued by some militant groups to attack oil installations on account of the political crisis in Rivers State.

However, the police have launched a thorough investigation into the matter, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday.

Iringe-Koko said operatives moved to the scene and contacted the operator, Shell, which shut down the pipeline.

The statement read, ?The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that a fire incident occurred at the Shell Petroleum Development Company operated Trans Niger Delta Pipeline, located at the border of Kpor and Bodo communities.

?During a routine night patrol, security operatives observed the incident and promptly alerted SPDC management. The latter initiated necessary safety protocols, including shutting down the affected pipeline.

?As a result of swift intervention, the situation is now under control, and there is no further threat to residents or the environment.

?The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire. In connection with this, two individuals have been taken in for questioning as part of efforts to uncover any potential act of sabotage.?? (Text: The PUNCH, but headline rejigged)

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