Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has reportedly vacated the Government House in Port Harcourt, along with his family and security aides, following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich state.
Sources confirm that Fubara left the official residence early Wednesday, just hours after Tinubu suspended him, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In his nationwide address on Tuesday, Tinubu defended the drastic measure, stating:
“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.”
To oversee the state’s affairs during the emergency period, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas as the sole administrator.
The declaration has triggered mixed reactions nationwide, with some viewing it as a necessary move to restore order, while others criticize it as an abuse of executive power. Meanwhile, uncertainty looms in Rivers as the political crisis deepens.
