Nigerian leader suspends the governor of an oil-rich state in rare emergency rule
A crisis in Rivers has brewed for months between incumbent Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, many of whom are backed by his predecessor. This week, some lawmakers initiated an impeachment process against the governor, accusing him of various illegalities regarding the presentation of the state budget and the composition of the legislative chamber.
President Bola Tinubu said in a state broadcast he was suspending the governor and other elected officials, including the state lawmakers, for six months.
The Nigerian president criticized the governor for not 'taking any action to curtail' fresh incidents of pipeline vandalism reported in the last 24 hours, including a blast that resulted in a fire on the Trans Niger Pipeline.
'With all these and many more, 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.
Nigeria's former navy chief Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, who is retired, will become the military administrator of Rivers state and the judiciary will continue to function, Tinubu said.
Military trucks were quickly deployed to the Rivers State Government House following Tinubu's announcement.
The Nigerian Constitution allows emergency rule to maintain law and order in rare circumstances. This is the first such emergency declared in more than a decade in the country of more than 210 million people whose democracy has been tested by many years of military rule and instability.
The Nigerian Bar Association criticized the suspensions of the governor and other elected officials as illegal. 'A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments,' Afam Osigwe, the association's president, said in a statement.
The last such emergency in Nigeria was declared under President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, in the northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency. However, the state governors were not suspended at the time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Australia will recognize Palestine as a state, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia will recognize Palestine as a state, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Protests erupt in Italy over planned $15.5B bridge from Sicily to mainland: ‘Strait of Messina can't be touched'
ROME — Thousands of people marched in the Sicilian city of Messina on Saturday to protest a government plan to build a bridge that would connect the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive $15.5 billion infrastructure project. Protesters staunchly oppose the Strait of Messina Bridge project over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the specter of mafia interference. The idea to build a bridge to connect Sicily to the rest of Italy has been debated off and on for decades but always delayed due to these concerns. The project, however, took a major step forward when a government committee overseeing strategic public investments approved the plan this week. Advertisement 4 A march against a planned bridge connecting Sicily with the Italian mainland in Messina on Aug. 9, 2025. Saya Francesco/LaPresse/Shutterstock Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, the project's main political backer, called it 'the biggest infrastructure project in the West.' Salvini cited studies estimating the project would create up to 120,000 jobs annually and help stimulate economic growth in economically lagging southern Italy, as billions more are invested in surrounding road and infrastructure improvements. Advertisement Opponents are not convinced by these arguments. They are also angry that about 500 families would have to be expropriated in order for the bridge to be built. 'The Strait of Messina can't be touched,' protesters shouted as they marched in Messina. Many carried banners that said 'No Ponte' (No Bridge). Organizers estimated crowd size at 10,000 people. The proposed bridge would span nearly 2.2 miles with a suspended section of more than 2 miles. It would surpass Turkey's Canakkale Bridge by 4,189 feet to become the longest suspension bridge in the world. 4 Protesters have opposed the project over factors like potential environmental impact and earthquake risks. Francesco Saya/LaPresse via AP Advertisement 4 The bridge would cost an estimated $15.5 billion. Saya Francesco/LaPresse/Shutterstock Preliminary work could begin as early as late September or early October, pending approval from Italy's Court of Audit. Full construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted between 2032 and 2033. Plans for a bridge have been approved and canceled multiple times since the Italian government first solicited proposals for one in 1969. Premier Giorgia Meloni's administration revived the project in 2023. With three car lanes in each direction flanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 cars an hour and 200 trains a day — reducing the time to cross the strait by ferry from up to 100 minutes to 10 minutes by car. Trains would save 2/12 hours in transit time, Salvini said. Advertisement 4 A rendering of the proposed bridge over the Strait of Messina shown during a 2023 RAI TV broadcast. Future Publishing via Getty Images The project could also support Italy's commitment to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP targeted by NATO, as the government has indicated it would classify the bridge as defense-related. Italy argues that the bridge would form a strategic corridor for rapid troop movements and equipment deployment, qualifying it as 'security-enhancing infrastructure.' Environmental groups, however, have lodged complaints with the EU, citing concerns that the project would impact migratory birds. Italy's president has also insisted that the project remain subject to anti-mafia legislation that applies to all large-scale infrastructure projects. Salvini pledged that keeping organized crime out of the project was a top priority.
Politico
6 hours ago
- Politico
UN nuclear watchdog official to visit Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2025. | Eraldo Peres/AP By Associated Press 08/10/2025 05:00 PM EDT TEHRAN — The deputy head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog will visit Iran in a bid to rekindle soured ties, the Islamic Republic's foreign minister said Sunday. There will be no inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities during the visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency scheduled for Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. The visit would be the first following Israel and Iran's 12-day war in June, when some of its key nuclear facilities were struck; some of those raids were conducted by the United States. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 3 ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the IAEA, after American and Israeli airstrikes hit its most-important nuclear facilities. The decision will likely further limit inspectors' ability to track Tehran's program that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.
