The South-South Governors’ Forum has called for the reversal of the state of emergency in Rivers State that was declared by President Bola Tinubu.

The statement issued on Thursday was signed by the Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State in Yenagoa, the state capital.

It reads , “To reduce tensions and establish a foundation for enduring peace, we propose the Rescission of the State of Emergency.”

The forum also called for dialogue as a path forward and encouraged all parties to remain calm, uphold peace and the constitution of the country.

The forum noted the six-month state of emergency and suspension of two democratic institutions as recognised the president’s constitutional duty to maintain law and order in the country as well as their mandate to secure peace and stability in their states.

to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy.  These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which up till now has not been facilitated.

Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them.

Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together. Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.

The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.

With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.

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 (Rtd) 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 Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be 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.

This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has 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.

Long live a united, peaceful, secure and democratic Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, citing alleged gross misconduct.

According to a notice obtained by Port Harcourt Especially on Monday, March 17, 2025, the lawmakers asserted that the move aligns with the Nigerian Constitution.

“In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we, the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the functions of her office,” the notice stated.

The development comes amid rising political tensions following recent remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. Wike had previously declared that Governor Fubara could be impeached if found guilty of an impeachable offense, emphasizing that impeachment is a constitutional process rather than a criminal act.

During a visit to Abalama on Saturday, Wike further escalated the situation by boasting that Fubara had already suffered two major political defeats, hinting at more to come. His comments have fueled speculations of a deepening rift between the former governor and his successor.

The impeachment proceedings are expected to heighten political uncertainty in Rivers State in the coming days.