0:00
Nigeria president voler ahed tanbu in a
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nationwide broadcast on Tuesday evening
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for the first time more than a decade in
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the history of the West Africa country
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declared a state of emergency in Rivers
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State and suspended for initial 6 months
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the governor Sim aara and his Deputy
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inoi ODU all elected members of the
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State House of Assembly and appointed
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retired vice admiral abocas as
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administrator to work with the existing
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laws of river state with the members of
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the state Judiciary following the
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apparent personal political crisis
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between the rivers State Governor Sim
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fabara and his former boss and the
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immediate past governor of the state NIS
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YK who is currently the minister of the
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federal capital territory fct that was
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seen a few days ago in a viral video
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apparently making carus statements as a
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government official statements capable
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of instigating a particular ethnic group
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against the government wherein the fct
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minister has said thus that ual people a
1:02
minority group in the south south and if
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their son fabara is impeached nothing
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would happened after the statements YK
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refused to apologize to the Ure people
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despite public outcry and condemnations
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days after as confirmed by President
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Bola Ahmed tanbu some militants started
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destroying crude oil pipelines in River
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State as media reports Trends and
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indicated that Pro YK lawmakers may have
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concluded plans to impeach governor
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simite fabara details of the words of
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President Bola ahed tanbu during the
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Nationwide broadcast of the state of
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emergency declaration in River State
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reads verbatim below as made available
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by one of the spokespersons to the
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president on media beo on anuga text of
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the broadcast by President Bola Ahmed
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tanbu commanderin-chief of the Armed
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Forces declaring state of emergency in
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River State on Tuesday the 18th of March
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2025 fellow Nigerians I feel greatly
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Disturbed at the turn we have come to
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regarding the political crisis in River
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State like many of you I have watched
2:09
with concern the development with the
2:11
hope that the parties involved would
2:13
allow good sense to Prevail at the
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soonest but all that hope burned out
2:17
without any solution to the crisis with
2:20
the crisis persisting there is no way
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Democratic governance which we have all
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fought and worked for over the years can
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thrive in a way that will redown to the
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benefit of the good people of the state
2:31
the state has been at a standstill since
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the crisis started with the good people
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of the state not being able to have
2:37
access to the dividends of democracy
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also it is public knowledge that the
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governor of Rivers State for
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unjustifiable reasons demolished the
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House of Assembly of the state as far
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back as the 13th of December 2023 and
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has up until now 14 14 months after not
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rebuilt same I have made personal inter
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interventions between the contending
3:01
parties for a peaceful resolution of the
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crisis but my efforts have been largely
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ignored by the parties to the crisis I
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am also aware that many well-meaning
3:11
Nigerians leaders of thought and
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patriotic groups have also intervened at
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various times with the best of
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intentions to resolve the matter but all
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their efforts were also to no avail
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still I thank them on February 28th
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2025 the Supreme Court in a judgment in
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respect of about eight Consolidated
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appeals concerning the political crisis
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in River State based on several grave
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unconstitutional acts and disregard of
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rule of law that have been committed by
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the governor of River State as shown by
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the evidence before it pronounced in
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very clear terms a government cannot be
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said to exist without one of the three
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arms that make up the government of a
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state under the 1999 Constitution as
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amended in this case the head of the
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Executive arm of the government has
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chosen to collapse the legislature to
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enable him to govern without the
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legislature as a despot as it is there
4:07
is no government in River State the
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above pronouncement came after a catalog
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of judicial findings of constitutional
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breaches against the governor simai
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fabara going forward in their judgment
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and having found and held the 27 members
4:22
of the House who had allegedly defected
4:25
a still valid members of River State
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House of Assembly and cannot be
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prevented from participating in the
4:30
proceedings of that house by the eighth
4:32
respondent that is the governor in
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cohorts with four members the Supreme
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Court then made some orders to restore
4:40
the state to immediate constitutional
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democracy these orders include the
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immediate passing of an appropriation
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bill by the River State House of
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Assembly which up till now has not been
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facilitated some militants had
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threatened fire and brimstone against
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their perceived enemy of the governor
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who has up until now not disowned them
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apart from that both the house and the
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governor have not been able to work
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together both of them do not realize
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that they're in office to work together
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for the peace and good governance of the
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state the latest security reports made
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available to me show that between
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yesterday and today there have been
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disturbing incidents of vandalization of
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pipelines by some militant without the
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governor taking any action to curtail
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them I have of course given Stern order
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to the security agencies to ensure
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safety of lives of the good people of
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River State and the oil pipelines with
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all these and many more no good and
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responsible president will stand by and
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allow the grave situation to continue
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without taking remedial steps prescribed
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by the Constitution to address the
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situation in the state which no doubt
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requires Extraordinary Measures to
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restore good governance peace order and
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Security in the circumstance having
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soberly reflected on and evaluated the
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political situation in r Rivers State
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and the governor and Deputy Governor of
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River State having failed to make a
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request to me as president to issue this
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Proclamation as required by section
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3055 of the 1999 Constitution as amended
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it has become inevitably compelling for
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me to invoke the provision of section
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305 of the Constitution of the federal
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republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended to
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declare a state of emergency in River
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State with effect from today the 18 of
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March 2025 and I so do by this
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declaration the governor of River State
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Mr Sim fabara his Deputy Mrs inoi ODU
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and all elected members of the House of
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Assembly of River State are hereby
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suspended for an initial period of 6
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months in the meantime I hereby nominate
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vice admiral abok EAS retired as
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administrator to take charge of the
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Affairs of the state in the interest of
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the good people of River State for the
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the avoidance of doubt this declaration
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does not affect the judicial arm of
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River State which shall continue to
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function in accordance with the
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Constitutional mandate the administrator
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will not make any new laws he will
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however be free to formulate regulations
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as may be found necessary to do his job
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but such regulations will need to be
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considered and approved by the Federal
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Executive Council and promulgated by the
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president for the state this declaration
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has been published in the federal
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Gazette set a copy of which has been
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forwarded to the National Assembly in
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Constitution it is my fervent hope that
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this inevitable intervention will help
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to restore peace and order in River
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State by Awakening all the contenders to
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the Constitutional imperatives binding
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on all political players in River State
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in particular and Nigeria as a whole
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long live a United peaceful secure and
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Democratic River State in particular and
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the federal republic of Nigeria as a
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all and the Spen all this and let me
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tell you something and people should
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have that right not constitute the
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of people must speak at the truth heaven
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will not fall he only die once not two
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times it's just constitute the majority
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N what nonsense every day you wake up
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governor in Del is minority of the
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minority with all du respect
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to he from Delta he had never produce to
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never the only place can govern is in
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state not not in rivers a minority of
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minority out of our own benol live
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