A new survey by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has revealed that an overwhelming majority of residents in Rivers State reject the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, 2025.
The emergency declaration, which suspended the democratically elected governor and the State House of Assembly, replacing them with a sole administrator, has drawn widespread disapproval from the populace.
The survey, conducted across all three senatorial districts, sampled 400 residents—including youth, women, civil servants, businesspeople, and rural and urban dwellers. According to the findings, 68.2 percent disapproved of the emergency rule and its implications.
Furthermore, 92.7 percent of respondents said they were aware of the state of emergency and the suspension of democratic institutions. A vast majority viewed the federal government’s action as both politically motivated and unconstitutional, with 65 percent outrightly declaring the suspension of the governor and House of Assembly as illegal.
Despite the political turmoil, 72.8 percent of respondents said that the suspended officials had been performing their roles effectively before being removed. Many emphasized that regardless of any perceived shortcomings, “elected officials should not be removed outside constitutional procedures.”
While the federal government cited a breakdown of law and order to justify its intervention, the CJID survey found that 86.7 percent of Rivers residents disagreed, stating that their communities remained peaceful and that they were able to go about daily life without disruptions due to violence or insecurity.
Public engagement with the federally appointed sole administrator remains low. Over 75 percent of respondents reported having no knowledge of any plans or actions initiated by the administrator two months into his appointment. This lack of transparency has only “fueled suspicions of governance without accountability and a growing sense of democratic exclusion among citizens.”
Legal experts and civil society organizations have raised red flags over the implications of the federal intervention, warning it could “set a dangerous precedent for political interference” in other states.
Unlike previous emergency declarations in Plateau, Ekiti, and the North East—where widespread violence made federal intervention necessary—analysts say the crisis in Rivers State is “political and institutional” in nature. Yet, the Supreme Court has not issued a ruling on the constitutionality of the president’s decision, leaving Nigeria in what some observers are calling a “state of constitutional limbo.”
As the country approaches the 2027 general elections, with preparations expected to start in early 2026, the situation in Rivers has raised alarm over potential voter suppression, weakened civil liberties, and a compromised electoral process in a state known for intense political rivalry.
In conclusion, the CJID report noted that Rivers citizens are calling for the “restoration of democratic institutions, respect for the rule of law, and a peaceful, constitutional resolution” to the ongoing political crisis.
