Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family have been reportedly held hostage at the Government House in Port-Harcourt by heavily armed soldiers.
This development follows President Bola Tinubu’s invocation of Section 180 of the Nigerian Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday night.
Naija News reports that this move comes amidst a deepening political feud in Rivers State, fueled by state lawmakers loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, who initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
This action is believed to be a direct response to a fallout between Fubara and Wike, despite Fubara being Wike’s chosen successor during the 2023 elections, which were marred by corruption allegations.
According to sources within the Rivers government who spoke with Peoples Gazette, soldiers, operating under the president’s directive, surrounded the Government House, blocking all entrances and exits following the president’s emergency declaration.
Attempts by Fubara and his family to leave the premises and gather their belongings were blocked by the soldiers, with one official from the scene stating, “We are being held hostage. They said they don’t have instruction to let anyone leave the premises.”
It remains unclear whether the soldiers were simply executing their orders or whether they acted out of overzealousness in carrying out the state of emergency measures.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend Governor Fubara, along with other state officials, for six months has sparked heated debates across social media platforms.
Critics have questioned whether the president has the constitutional authority to suspend an elected governor, especially as the impeachment process against Fubara had not been completed by the state lawmakers at the time of the declaration.
In the aftermath of the state of emergency proclamation, President Tinubu appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as the interim military administrator for Rivers State.
