Lawmakers from Rivers State in the National Assembly have strongly criticised Senator Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa over his recent comments accusing President Bola Tinubu of imposing “military rule” in Rivers State.
Speaking at a press conference at the House of Representatives, the Rivers State caucus made up of both senators and members of the House described Senator Dickson’s remarks as “unguarded” and “misleading.”
Senator Dickson had argued that President Tinubu should have used his June 12 Democracy Day address to end the emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstate Governor Siminalayi Fubara. He claimed the state was being run like a military regime.
However, the Rivers caucus rejected the senator’s claims. House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, speaking on behalf of the group, insisted that Rivers State is not under military rule and is currently enjoying relative peace.
“Rivers is not under military rule simply because a retired military officer is serving as its administrator,” Chinda said. He referred to Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), who is currently overseeing the state.
Chinda explained that the emergency rule was declared by President Tinubu as a constitutional measure under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution. He said the move followed political unrest and a breakdown of democratic processes in the state, as confirmed by a Supreme Court ruling on 28 February 2025, which noted that Rivers had no functioning government at the time.
“The president acted decisively to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control,” Chinda said, adding that even the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had publicly thanked the president for restoring order.