The Federal Government has justified President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, saying it was necessary to prevent a total breakdown of governance in the oil-rich region.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, made this known on Wednesday while addressing journalists at the State House in Abuja. He also stated that Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had no involvement in the political crisis that led to the emergency declaration.
Fagbemi assured that Rivers State’s financial allocation from the Federation Account would be given to Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), who was appointed by President Tinubu as the state’s sole administrator.
“If the administrator requests it, the allocation will be released to him,” Fagbemi stated. “To me, it is in order for the release of that fund because the extraordinary situation has taken the state out of the normal governance process.”
The AGF defended Tinubu’s intervention, noting that the President acted promptly to prevent governance in Rivers from further deterioration.
“We have about two years into this administration. Now, when do you think the President should have intervened? Should he have waited until everything was destroyed? I don’t think so,” Fagbemi said.
He explained that the President had tried to resolve the crisis through dialogue before taking the decision to impose emergency rule.
The emergency declaration, which was announced on Tuesday, led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
The crisis in Rivers State has been linked to a political dispute between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike. The prolonged power struggle caused disruptions in governance and raised concerns about security and economic stability in the state.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) to oversee the state’s affairs until order is restored. Ibas previously served as the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In his nationwide address, Tinubu justified the emergency rule by citing constitutional violations and security concerns.
“In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State… 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, March 18, 2025,” Tinubu stated.
He also assured that the judiciary in the state would continue functioning, noting that the emergency rule only affected the executive and legislative branches.
