Storm in Rivers: Fubara Supporters Walk Out, Peace Talks TeeterA fresh storm has engulfed Rivers State’s tenuous peace as hundreds of women, rallying behind suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, dramatically walked out of a federal empowerment event in Port Harcourt—an act that threatens to shatter reconciliation talks brokered by APC elder Segun Osoba. With the Supreme Court condemning Fubara’s 15-month rule without a legislature and President Bola Tinubu’s unprecedented emergency declaration, this latest defiance lays bare the deep mistrust and factional loyalties that imperil Nigeria’s democratic fabric.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State has its roots in Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s deliberate demolition of the State Assembly in December 2023 and his subsequent 15-month tenure without legislative oversight, which the Supreme Court later condemned as unconstitutional.
Despite peace talks brokered by APC elder Segun Osoba and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, the recent walkout by women loyal to Fubara at a Renewed Hope Initiative event in Port Harcourt underscores how grassroots resistance and mixed signals from Fubara’s camp continue to imperil reconciliation efforts.
Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the FCT, has been cast as the champion of constitutional order and democracy, whereas Fubara’s defenders insist that popular protests are spontaneous expressions of anger at an “illegal” sole administrator. The crisis highlights broader questions about federalism, the abuse of emergency powers, and the fragility of democratic institutions in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta.
Historical Collapse of the Rivers State Assembly
Impeachment Avoidance and Demolition
In December 2023, the Rivers State House of Assembly, dominated by loyalists of former Governor Nyesom Wike, served Governor Siminalayi Fubara with a notice of gross misconduct, accusing him of budgetary flouting and executive overreach that threatened legislative independence.
Rather than face impeachment, Fubara’s administration allegedly orchestrated the demolition of the Assembly complex on 14 December 2023, deploying security operatives in the early hours to raze the compound, effectively evicting lawmakers and stalling any impeachment process.
Eyewitnesses reported Fubara personally supervising the destruction, a move his critics described as an authoritarian subversion of democracy designed to “erase constitutional checks” on his power (Log in or sign up to view).
By late 2023 and into early 2024, with no functioning legislature, Fubara governed by decree—signing laws unilaterally, approving budgets, and awarding contracts without oversight, prompting condemnation from civil society and the bar association.
Assembly Defections and Parallel Claims
In the aftermath, over 20 lawmakers loyal to Wike defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), triggering rival claims of legitimacy between the Wike-aligned Martin Amaewhule faction and pro-Fubara defectors.
Fubara’s camp insisted that defectors’ seats were vacated, inviting new members to be sworn in, whereas the Amaewhule faction maintained they remained the authentic Assembly, deepening confusion over legislative authority (Log in or sign up to view).
This constitutional impasse not only paralysed governance but sparked protests by lawyers, traders, and labour unions who decried the absence of checks and balances in Africa’s most economically vital state.
Supreme Court Intervention and Condemnation
Landmark Judgment
On 28 February 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favour of the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly, affirming it as the sole legitimate legislature of Rivers State and invalidating all actions taken by any parallel assembly (YouTube).
Chief Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, in her lead judgment, explicitly condemned any executive attempt to erode legislative independence, stating that “the essence of democracy is the separation of powers, which must not yield to brute force”.
The Court declared all laws and appropriations passed without the Amaewhule Assembly’s participation null and void, thereby implicitly branding Fubara’s 15-month governance as ultra vires.
Lawyers celebrated the decision as a victory for constitutionalism, warning that failure to enforce it risked setting a dangerous precedent for other states in the Niger Delta and beyond (Log in or sign up to view).
President Tinubu’s Emergency Rule
Declaration and Justification
On 18 March 2025, President Bola Tinubu proclaimed a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the collapse of democratic institutions, escalating pipeline vandalism, and the need to protect national economic interests.
In his address, Tinubu lamented that “all hope for reconciliation has been undermined by deliberate actions to sabotage peace and provoke violence,” underscoring that the emergency was a reluctant but necessary measure.
The federal government justified using emergency powers under Section 305 of the Constitution, arguing the breakdown of governance and security threats met the threshold for temporary suspension of state institutions.
Opponents, including the Nigerian Bar Association and human rights groups, decried the move as an overreach that “erodes federalism” and circumvents electoral mandates.
Appointment of a Sole Administrator
Tinubu appointed retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator, with full executive and legislative powers in Rivers State for the emergency’s duration.
Ibas’s mandate was to “restore constitutional order and facilitate a return to democratic governance,” yet critics feared he would mirror Fubara’s unchecked authority, albeit under a military-style hierarchy.
The National Assembly swiftly endorsed the emergency proclamation on 20 March 2025, despite heated debates over its legality, citing the urgency to avert further economic disruption due to pipeline vandalism.
Civil society organisations filed suits challenging the suspension of elected officials, arguing that emergency powers should target security threats, not political disputes.
Segun Osoba’s Reconciliation Initiative
Mediation Efforts
In April 2025, APC elder statesman Chief Segun Osoba and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun convened reconciliation talks at Wike’s Abuja residence, inviting both Wike and Fubara to defuse tensions.
Osoba insisted the process was “brotherly and focused on Rivers State’s welfare,” dismissing social media rumours that Fubara had prostrated before Wike as “fabrications” designed to derail the talks.
The mediators emphasised that peace in Rivers was crucial for national stability, given the state’s oil production and strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy.
Early sessions reportedly addressed power-sharing, restoration of the Amaewhule Assembly, and timelines for lifting the emergency, yet no binding agreement emerged.
Progress and Persistent Roadblocks
Sources indicate that while procedural matters saw compromise, substantive trust deficits remained, especially over control of contracts, patronage networks, and security apparatus.
Wike’s camp demanded Fubara publicly acknowledge the Assembly’s legitimacy and apologise for the demolition, whereas Fubara resisted any admission of wrongdoing, insisting the demolition was a “necessary corrective”.
Observers note that without such admissions, Wike’s supporters in the Amaewhule Assembly and the federal administration would be unwilling to normalise relations or restore democratic rule.
Behind closed doors, discussions also touched on security sector reforms to prevent future breakdowns, but concrete proposals remain undisclosed.
Renewed Hope Walkout: A Fresh Blow to Peace Talks
The Port Harcourt Incident
On 2 May 2025, at the EUI Event Centre in Port Harcourt, Theresa Ibas—wife of the Sole Administrator—took the podium during a Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme for women when hundreds of attendees staged a walkout.
Clad in vests emblazoned “Mrs Tinubu” and “Valerie Fubara,” the protesters chanted “We want SIM!” and “We want Valerie Fubara!”, making clear their loyalty to the suspended governor and rejection of the Sole Administrator’s authority.
The spectacle, broadcast live on social media, went viral within hours, embarrassing the federal delegation and highlighting grassroots resentment toward emergency rule.
Wike’s Forceful Rebuttal
From Beijing, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant, Lere Olayinka, condemned the walkout as “very disturbing and embarrassing to the people of Rivers State,” offering a full apology to President Tinubu and the First Lady.
Wike accused Fubara of “sponsoring people to insult everyone, including the President and his wife,” warning that “words without honesty won’t bring peace”.
He challenged Fubara to be “bold enough to tell the President what he wants” instead of orchestrating covert campaigns to undermine federal and state unity .
Fubara’s Camp: Defences and Counter-Accusations
Ijaw National Congress and Media Aides Speak
Prof. Benjamin Okaba of the Ijaw National Congress and Jerry Omatsogunwa, Fubara’s media aide, swiftly rebutted Wike’s claims, arguing the walkout was a spontaneous expression of popular will, not a plotted stunt.
Okaba maintained that the women did not disrespect the First Lady but were “deceived” into expecting Tinubu’s wife, and rightly protested an “illegal” Sole Administrator imposed by emergency rule.
Omatsogunwa derided Wike as “double-tongued” and “hungry for favour at all costs,” insisting Fubara “did not send anybody to embarrass anyone”.
Strain on the Mediation Process
These duelling narratives deepened mistrust between camps, with Osoba’s mediation now confronting not only political disagreements but also highly public demonstrations that threaten to unravel negotiations.
Analysts warn that unless Fubara unequivocally distances himself from agitators, Wike’s side may pull out of talks entirely, perpetuating the state of emergency and institutional paralysis.
Broader Implications for Democracy, Federalism, and Stability
Precedent for Emergency Powers
The Rivers emergency represents the first use of such powers in over a decade and raises concerns about their potential abuse in future political conflicts across Nigeria.
Critics argue that conflating political crises with security emergencies dilutes the constitutional threshold for intervention and invites federal overreach into states’ affairs.
Economic and Security Stakes
Rivers State accounts for nearly 30% of Nigeria’s crude oil output; ongoing instability and pipeline vandalism have cost the national economy billions in lost revenues and disrupted export schedules.
Militant attacks on the Trans Niger Pipeline continue, with over five explosions reported since January 2025, underscoring the nexus between political turmoil and security breakdown .
Civil Society and Labour Mobilisation
Trade unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, boycotted the May Day rally in Port Harcourt, signalling broad-based rejection of emergency rule and the Sole Administrator.
Human rights organisations have petitioned the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly, arguing that emergency rule has suppressed dissent and criminalised legitimate protest.
National Political Repercussions
Within the APC, divisions have surfaced between Tinubu loyalists who back emergency measures and factions concerned about long-term damage to the party’s democratic credentials.
Opposition leaders are capitalising on the crisis to portray the ruling party as authoritarian, with ramifications for upcoming elections in 2027.
Conclusion
The Rivers State crisis is more than a regional squabble—it is a barometer for Nigeria’s democratic health and the limits of executive power. Governor Fubara’s demolition of the Assembly and 15-month rule without oversight triggered a constitutional crisis that the Supreme Court redressed, only for the nation’s leader to reimpose a different form of exceptional governance through emergency rule.
Despite high-profile peace talks led by Chief Segun Osoba, the recent walkout by Fubara’s supporters lays bare the gulf between elite negotiations and grassroots realities. Nyesom Wike has emerged as the defender of constitutionalism, while Fubara’s camp insists on popular agency against what they term an “illegal” regime.
The stakes extend far beyond Rivers: any failure to restore genuine democratic governance risks emboldening future abuses of emergency powers, undermining federalism, and destabilising Nigeria’s vital oil economy.
For peace to take root, Fubara must publicly repudiate and avoid extra-constitutional tactics, and Wike and the federal government must chart a clear, inclusive pathway back to elected rule. Otherwise, the Rivers crisis will leave a troubling template for political contestation across Nigeria.