The president made the announcement on Tuesday in a nationwide broadcast over the political crisis and instability in the state.

Tinubu said Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and all members of the Rivers assembly are “hereby suspended for an initial period of six months”.

“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,” the president said.

President Bola Tinubu is currently holding a high-level meeting with the service chiefs at the State House.

Among those in attendance are Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff; Olufemi Oluyede, chief of army staff; Emmanuel Ogalla, chief of naval staff; Hassan Abubakar, chief of air staff; and Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police.

Also present are Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser; Oluwatosin Ajayi, director-general of the State Security Service; and Muhammed Muhammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency.

A former House of Assembly Candidate in the 2019 general election Adnan Mukhtar Tudun-Wada has called on Seyi Tinubu to stop demarketing his father in the North

Adnan, a public relations practitioner and university lecturer, has described the recent Iftar tour by the President’s son where he was seen distributing rice as an insult to the North.

He said this in a statement he issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mukhtar who also aspired for membership of Kano State House of Assembly under the People’s Democratic Party also called on Seyi Tinubu to stop the Iftar tour in the North by focusing on something that will better the life of young people in the region at a time where governance should be giving priority not politics.

“As young people who are mature enough to see for ourselves, I want to tell the President’s son that this is not the time for campaign but for governance. It’s two years to 2027 election.

Because he disrespects the North, that’s why he is sharing rice with us like beggars. This is not what we need, the President has come up with the Tax reform bill to undermine the North, the Abuja to Kano road is yet to be completed, our industries are not functioning, Katsina, Zamfara and some parts of Sokoto are not safe because of the insecurity.

He should inform his father that the North is crying fault of marginalisation. We are being sidelined. Let the President address our problems, but coming here to be giving us food is an insult.

Can he do things like this in the South, Lagos in particular where he comes from? ”

Look at how he is sitting in our traditional rulers’ palaces, without any iota of respect.

The way he shook Emir of Zazzau without any respect to our culture. Can he shake the Oba of Lagos or Oni of Ife?

I’m calling on all well-meaning youth to come out and distance themselves from the activities of Seyi Tinubu, who is neither elected nor holding a political position in his father’s government.

The government of President Tinubu is a disgrace to young people, and Nigerians are suffering from all angle

Have you ever seen the daughter of Donald Trump doing like this or that of Obama? ” He added