Ann-Kio Briggs Slams Tinubu: Emergency Rule in Rivers State Was Unjust and Harmful
Renowned environmental and human rights activist Ann-Kio Briggs has fiercely criticized President Bola Tinubu, insisting that his declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State was unjust and has inflicted lasting damage on the oil-rich Niger Delta region. In a statement delivered in Port Harcourt on September 18, 2025, just a day after Tinubu lifted the six-month suspension of democratic governance, Briggs dismissed the president’s move as no favor to the people, declaring, “Tinubu has been the problem of the state.” Her remarks underscore ongoing resentment among Rivers indigenes, who view the emergency as a federal overreach that sidelined their elected leaders and exacerbated political divisions.
The crisis erupted in March 2025 amid a bitter feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor-turned-rival, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, escalating into legislative defections, violent clashes, and vandalism of critical infrastructure like oil pipelines. Citing a “drift towards anarchy,” Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the Constitution to suspend Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire Rivers State House of Assembly, appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator for six months. The National Assembly swiftly approved the declaration, but it drew immediate backlash, including over 40 court challenges from critics who argued it undermined democracy in a state vital to Nigeria’s economy.
Briggs, a vocal Niger Delta advocate known for her campaigns against oil exploitation and environmental degradation, has been a consistent thorn in the side of the emergency rule since day one. In April, she accused Ibas of “pouring petrol on the fire” Tinubu sent him to quench, alleging the administrator escalated tensions rather than resolving them. She claimed Ibas oversaw violence and ignored community needs, failing to advance key projects like the Trans-Kalabari Road and coastal bridges. By July, Briggs lamented that Rivers people were “not happy but patiently waiting” for the rule’s end, highlighting the paralysis of governance and its toll on ordinary citizens.
No Favor, Just Damage: Briggs Demands Accountability
With the emergency now lifted—effective September 18, allowing Fubara, Odu, and the assembly to resume duties—Briggs argued the reversal changes nothing about the injustice. “Tinubu did Rivers people no favour,” she stated, emphasizing that Fubara has always enjoyed “total organic support” from the majority, including women across all sectors. She warned that the suspension inflicted “incalculable losses” on the state, from stalled development to eroded trust in federal institutions, and called for full accountability, including probes into Ibas’s administration and expenditures during the period.
Briggs urged Fubara to rebuild by strengthening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers and the Niger Delta, advising him to “nurture the party that brought him to power” rather than abandoning it. Her critique echoes broader opposition sentiments: The African Democratic Congress labeled the emergency a “dangerous precedent” that manipulated constitutional provisions for political gain, while constitutional lawyers decried it as an abuse of power. Even as some, like APC factional spokesman Darlington Nwauju, praised Tinubu for restoring order, the Rivers State House of Assembly has moved to investigate the emergency era’s finances.
Lingering Tensions: A Call for Healing in Rivers
Tinubu, in his announcement, commended stakeholders for their cooperation and warned against future “misguided political activism,” but Briggs and others see the episode as a stain on his leadership. As Fubara returns to Government House amid jubilant crowds, the activist’s insistence on the declaration’s injustice highlights deep-seated grievances in Rivers, where oil wealth often fuels conflict rather than prosperity. With demands for probes and reconciliation mounting, the state faces a delicate path to stability—proving that emergency rule may have paused the chaos, but it hasn’t healed the wounds.