President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has defended his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, asserting that the state was without a functioning government due to a deep political crisis.

In a counter-affidavit filed on May 20, Tinubu alongside Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Rivers State Administrator Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara described the emergency rule as constitutional and necessary in light of the circumstances.

“There is a clear and present danger of an imminent breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State,” the affidavit stated.

Filed by Mr. Taiye Hussain Oloyede, Senior Special Assistant to the President and an official of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the affidavit responded to a legal challenge by Yirabari Israel Nulong, Nengim Ikpoemugh Royal, and Gracious Eyoh-Sifumbukho.

The document cited an intractable conflict between the state’s executive and legislative arms, which led to a complete paralysis of governance.

“As at 18 March 2025, the executive and legislative organs of the Rivers State Government were still mired in conflict… it paralysed the organs of government in the state and jeopardised public safety and order,” it reads.

Following the proclamation, President Tinubu appointed a Sole Administrator to oversee the state, with backing from both chambers of the National Assembly.

While the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has criticised the emergency declaration, Oloyede maintained that it complies with the 1999 Constitution and Supreme Court precedents, with some legal experts calling it a justified response to a constitutional crisis.