posted 23rd March 2025
Niger Delta Congress Rejects Emergency Rule in Rivers State, Calls for Protests
Port Harcourt, 23 March 2025 – The Niger Delta Congress (NDC), a prominent advocacy group representing the ethnic nations of the Niger Delta, has issued a scathing rejection of the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu. The declaration, which also suspends Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state legislature, has sparked widespread controversy and raised concerns over democratic principles in the region.
In a statement released on 23 March 2025, the NDC described the emergency rule as an "alarming and unprecedented" move, questioning its legality and legitimacy under the Nigerian Constitution. The group pointed to the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, which they attribute to incidents of pipeline vandalism and militancy, as the purported justification for the declaration. However, the NDC argued that the Constitution permits such drastic measures only in extreme circumstances, such as war or public order breakdown, neither of which they believe applies in this case.
The NDC statement highlighted the controversial appointment of Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, as the caretaker head of the state during the emergency period. Wike’s longstanding feud with Governor Fubara has been a focal point of political tension in the region, and the NDC condemned the move as a "deliberate political ploy" to undermine the will of the people and serve the interests of a select few, rather than a genuine effort to address the crisis.
"The federal government has made it clear that political rivalries can supersede democratic principles," the NDC stated. "This is not just a crisis confined to Rivers State; it is a dire warning to all ethnic nations of the Niger Delta: our democratic foundations are brittle, and the spectre of authoritarian overreach looms large, ready to strip away our dignity as a people."
The group called on the ethnic nations of the Niger Delta, particularly in Rivers State—including the Ijaw, Ogoni, Ikwerre, and beyond—to rise and demand the reversal of what they describe as a "flagrant abuse of executive power." The NDC urged the people to take to the streets in a peaceful protest against the "indirect and undemocratic rule" imposed on the state, while also calling for dialogue to resolve the crisis.
The statement also addressed the broader socio-economic challenges facing the region, noting that the people of Rivers State are vital to the social and economic advancement of the Niger Delta. The NDC warned that the disruption caused by the emergency rule, coupled with the ongoing issues of militancy, environmental degradation, and economic neglect, could further destabilise communities already scarred by decades of hardship.
"We demand that President Tinubu immediately reverse this decision, reinstate Governor Fubara and the elected assembly, and commit to dialogue over diktat," the statement concluded. Signed by Mudiaga Ogboru, the National Spokesperson for the NDC, the call to action has already begun to resonate across the region, with local leaders and activists mobilising for what they hope will be a unified show of resistance.
The declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State comes amidst heightened political tensions in Nigeria, with many observers viewing the move as a test of the federal government’s commitment to democratic governance. As the situation unfolds, all eyes will be on Rivers State to see whether the NDC’s call for peaceful protest and dialogue will lead to a resolution—or further escalate an already volatile crisis.
