Senate President Akpabio has visited FCT Minister Wike amid echoes of the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio visited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at his residence on Tuesday.
The visit was announced on social media by Wike’s Media Assistant, Lere Olayinka. It comes amid the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, which has caused tensions within the state’s leadership.
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. This decision followed months of worsening political unrest and the inability of the state’s leadership to resolve ongoing disputes, including the suspension of legislative activities.
President Tinubu stated that the crisis had escalated beyond control, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration being accused of constitutional violations. These included the illegal dissolution of the state legislature, which led to governance issues and widespread instability. The President noted that despite multiple attempts to intervene, both internally and externally, including a Supreme Court ruling in February 2025, the situation remained unresolved.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court of Nigeria stated that Rivers State effectively had no functioning government due to Governor Fubara’s actions, which weakened the legislative arm. The court declared, “A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state.” It further ruled that the Governor’s actions had made the state’s leadership unconstitutional.
Additionally, the court determined that the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who were believed to have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), were still legitimate members and should be allowed to resume their legislative duties.
