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A group of concerned Nigerians has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately end the emergency rule in Rivers State, arguing that the Federal Government's intervention has derailed constitutional order and deepened unrest in the oil-rich state.
The group, Citizens’ Action for Democratic Restoration (CADR), in a statement by its National President, Dr. Maryleen Ebere Okoro, in Port Harcourt on Saturday, May 10, 2025, faulted the President for appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as sole administrator.
CADR criticised the administrator for continuing to suspend democratic institutions and impose unilateral rule without legal or legislative backing.
They described the emergency rule as a “reckless overreach” that has compounded the Rivers crisis and stifled the will of the people.
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“President Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers may have been driven by a desire to stabilise the state, but the appointment of a sole administrator who has suspended state structures, defied court rulings, and threatened peaceful protesters has ruined any good intention that may have existed. This is no longer intervention, it is occupation,” she said.
CADR listed several worrying developments since the March 18 emergency declaration: the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and the the house of assembly; the mass sacking of political appointees and state executives; the appointment of local government administrators in defiance of subsisting court orders; and repeated crackdowns on protest groups, particularly women-led demonstrations demanding a return to civil governance.
“Vice Admiral Ibas has dismantled the democratic scaffolding of Rivers State. Local councils are being filled with handpicked loyalists. Rivers State has become a dictatorship under federal cover and Nigerians are watching in disbelief.”
Group challenges Tinubu's silence on Iba's actions
Rivers' Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas
Okoro noted that attempts to intimidate protesters only betray the government’s loss of moral authority.
“When women carrying placards are tear-gassed, it is no longer about peacekeeping. It becomes state-sponsored repression. We cannot build unity on the foundation of fear.”
CADR also challenged the President’s silence in the face of criticism from civil rights organisations, legal experts, and ordinary citizens.
According to the group, a proper stakeholder dialogue, including traditional rulers, civil society, and elected representatives, could have resolved the conflict without undermining constitutional democracy.
“If the President truly sought peace, he would have convened all relevant actors in Rivers State to mediate a path forward. Instead, he chose the path of imposition and exclusion. That decision is now backfiring and threatening national unity,” she said.
The group warned that allowing Ibas to continue in office under emergency powers risks setting a dangerous precedent.
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“Today, it is Rivers. Tomorrow, it could be any state where political disagreements exist. If one man can replace an entire government by federal decree, then our democracy is in grave danger,” Okoro said.
“The situation in Rivers is not democratic, so we urge President Tinubu to rescind the emergency order immediately, reinstate Fubara, and initiate a peacebuilding process anchored in constitutional law.
“Our message is clear. The administrator must go. The emergency rule must end. Nigerians did not die for democracy only to be ruled by decree again. Enough is enough,” she declared.