The president accused the Rivers State governor of being unable to control vandals and militants in the region. The suspension marks the first declaration of emergency rule since 2013.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended the state governor Siminalayi Fubara after an explosion of a section of the Trans-Niger Pipeline.

Though police have not yet stated an official reason behind the explosion on Tuesday, vandalism or sabotage by militant groups has not been ruled out.

The president said he received reports of “disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.”

Oil spills are frequent in the region, where the high value of oil leads both militants and civilians to steal it for sale on the black market.

What did Tinubu say about the suspension?

Tinubu criticized the governor for not “taking any action to curtail” incidents of pipeline vandalism.

“No good and responsible president will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the constitution to address the situation in the state,” Tinubu said in a televised broadcast.

The president said he was suspending the governor and other elected officials, including the state lawmakers, for six months.

A power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has paralyzed the state, leading to impeachment efforts and Fubara’s attempt to dissolve the legislature.

“With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance… can thrive… The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started,” Tinubu said.

Nigeria’s former navy chief Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas would serve as caretaker to run the affairs of Rivers State for an initial six months.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

DW News