The Federal Government has officially declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, as documented in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 47, dated March 18, 2025. In the proclamation titled State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he has invoked his constitutional powers under Section 305 of…
The Presidency has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to declare a State of Emergency in Rivers State. Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, described Obasanjo as the grandfather of hypocrisy in Nigeria. Speaking in Abuja on Monday, the former president said “Democracy is not about power…
A socio-political group, the Simplicity Movement, has raised concerns over recent explosions at oil facilities in Rivers State, alleging they are part of a scheme to justify extending the state of emergency imposed by President Bola Tinubu. In a statement following a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt on Monday, the group’s National Leader, Sobomabo Jackrich,…
Organised labour in Rivers state has threatened to embark on “strategic union actions” that could disrupt national economic activities if President Bola Tinubu does not reverse the emergency rule imposed on the state. In a joint statement signed by leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers, the…
The sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibot-Ete Ibas (retired) has appointed Ibibia Lucky Worika as the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG). His first appointment since assuming office after the State of Emergency declared on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, Ibas said Worika’s appointment is with immediate effect. In a statement…
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lift the state of emergency in Rivers State once stability is restored. In an interview with Nation, Idris emphasized the President’s commitment to reinstating democratic governance in the state at the earliest opportunity. “As soon as he assesses…
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who recently marked his first 100 days in office, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, describing him as more courageous than former President Goodluck Jonathan. Speaking in Benin yesterday, Okpebholo commended Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it a bold decision made in…
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. According to him, the action betrays the spirit of federalism, adding that such a declaration mirrored how the Constitution put too much power in the hands of the president. GISTSMATE MEDIA reports that Tinubu, on Tuesday,…
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), once advised Akinwumi Ambode, former Lagos governor, to reject godfatherism in his state. In a September 2018 interview on The Osasu Show, Wike, who was then Rivers governor, advised Ambode to prioritise Lagos’ interests over those of President Bola Tinubu, widely seen as Lagos’ political godfather….
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that no country can succeed when government officials abuse power and act as in a dictatorship. He argued that the crisis in Rivers State reflects wider governance challenges in Nigeria, where key figures in the executive, legislature and judiciary are failing to uphold justice and the rule of law….