Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, taking steps to suspend the state governor, his deputy, and all members of the state legislature.
Rivers State has been facing a political crisis, with internal conflicts within the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Lawmakers in the state had also expressed intentions to impeach both the governor and his deputy.
To manage the state’s affairs during this period, Tinubu appointed a retired vice admiral as caretaker for an initial term of six months.
“For clarity, this declaration does not impact the judicial branch of Rivers State, which will continue to operate within its constitutional responsibilities,” Tinubu stated.
Earlier that day, police reported that they were looking into the cause of an explosion in Rivers State that led to a fire on Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline, a crucial conduit for transporting crude oil from onshore fields to the Bonny export terminal.
