Rivers: Fubara, lawmakers warm up for return as Tinubu orders Ibas to prepare handover notes

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, and the 32-member House of Assembly will return to office on September 18. Indications that the suspended governor, his deputy, as well as the state lawmakers will return to office were rife last week after a closed-door meeting between the President and the Sole Administrator in the Presidential Villa, where Ibas was given a matching order to submit a comprehensive handover note of his six-month emergency rule before his 10-day vacation ends.

President Bola Tinubu, had, on March 18, proclaimed an emergency rule in Rivers and suspended the state governor, his deputy and the Assembly for six months to douse the political tension between the governor and the former governor of the state and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The action of the President was aimed at addressing escalating political and security challenges in the oil-rich region, following the increasing tensions between Fubara and various political factions, including former allies like Wike.

According to the president in the broadcast, wherein he declared the emergency rule in Rivers, “The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy”. The President then appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd) as the Sole Administrator to run the affairs of the state for the six months that Fubara and the lawmakers are suspended. In the handover notes, the sources said, Ibas is expected to explain all the funds he inherited from Fubara, revenues accrued within the six months of the emergency rule and their respective sources “as well as expenditures during his stewardship and the various projects the funds were channeled into within the period under review, with clear specifications.”

The President may likely make a pronouncement to lift the emergency rule on September 18, a date that would make it exactly six months since the state of emergency was proclaimed. Source said Fubara, as a condition for reinstatement, agreed not to seek re-election in 2027. “He is expected to serve out his current term and vacate office without rocking the boat,” the source stated. Fubara was also said to have accepted Wike’s leadership and consented to allowing him to nominate candidates for all local government elections under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) across the state. These nominees are to be elected without internal opposition in the election expected to take place before the end of October. “On his return, the suspended governor will also pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements of the 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, who were suspended from the state assembly. In exchange, the lawmakers will cooperate and work peacefully with the governor to enable him to complete his tenure,” a source said.

On February 28, the Supreme Court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced that. “A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case, the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.”

The apex court held in the said judgment that the 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected “are still valid members of the state House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members” The Supreme Court then made some orders 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 the day the emergency rule was declared, was not been facilitated. Tinubu had said, while declaring the emergency rule, that, “With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by 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, 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,” the President said.

Source: https://tribuneonlineng.com/rivers-fubara-lawmakers-warm-up-for-return-as-tinubu-orders-ibas-to-prepare-handover-notes/

Date: 9Sep25