An old photograph of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, shaking hands with Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) has ignited intense debate on social media.

The resurfaced image, shared by Journalist KC on Facebook, shows Wike and Ibas—now appointed as the administrator of Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu—engaging in a formal handshake.

The development has fueled speculation about Wike’s alleged involvement in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State and has raised concerns over President Tinubu’s neutrality.

READ ALSO: History of state of emergency declarations in Nigeria since 1999

Critics argue that Wike’s past relationship with Ibas, who served as the Chief of Naval Staff from July 2015 to January 2021 while Wike was governor, suggests a premeditated plan behind the recent state of emergency declaration in Rivers.

Netizens react

Many Nigerians have taken to social media to voice their discontent, calling the appointment a setback for democracy.

Aminu Saed Kwaire did not mince words, stating, “PBaT is the worst president in Nigeria.”

READ ALSO: Peter Obi slams Rivers state emergency – calls Tinubu’s move ‘reckless’

Friday Odiri added, “Fubara is learning in a very hard way,” referring to the embattled Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Abraham Abodunrin simply labelled the situation “Wikdedly, Wike,” while Muhammad Harun Muhibbullah criticised the leadership, saying, “Tinubu is a dictator—his leadership style is worse than that of the military regime.”

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The controversy continues to dominate online discussions, with many Nigerians questioning whether the president’s decision was truly impartial or orchestrated by political allies.

Teyana Taylor’s legal team has filed a petition against her ex-husband Iman Shumpert  for contempt, claiming he deliberately leaked sealed documents about their divorce to the media. According to documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Teyana claims she’s been getting dragged on social media over misleading reports about who got what in their divorce. Taylor insists it wasn’t a “settlement” at all because the parties only got what was awarded by the court, including vehicles and a tour bus, which she says she paid for on her own. She also claims the Maybach she purchased came after Iman crashed her Rolls Royce, leaving is completely damaged, and never replaced it. As for other reports out there, Teyana says she was awarded 4 properties and Iman was awarded 3, including the Miami condo she says he originally gifted to her. On Oscar night 2025, Teyana went viral when she posted a picture with actor Aaron Pierre, which she says generated 1.4 million views and over 40k comments in less than a day, but she says just days later a huge story about what she calls a “false divorce settlement” popped up in the media. Teyana thinks the timing was unfortunate because she says she’d recently been on an amazing run with the announcement of her 2nd Air Jordan collab with Nike, performances and modeling gigs in Paris, all on the heels of shooting 3 movies and a TV show. She also believes it’s no coincidence that the timing of the news coincided with Iman’s newly released rap song, implying that Iman was using their divorce drama to help promote his new project. Teyana notes she was subjected to public scrutiny and hate speech on social media all the while Iman enjoyed having his name be a trending topic. She now wants the judge to hold Shumpert in contempt of court for leaking the information and is asking the judge to lock him up for 20 days and hit him with maximum fines to teach him a lesson.The post “Those divorce reports were fake and you know it” Teyana Taylor files petition against ex-husband Iman Shumpert over reports she got multi-million dollars divorce payout appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.

The protracted political impasse in Rivers State has taken yet another unpleasant turn, forcing President Bola Tinubu to declare a State of Emergency in the oil-rich state.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the President expressed deep concerns over the turn of events in the South-South state, saying security reports at his disposal revealed that the state has come under severe security threats.

He also detailed in chronological order the events that have marked the crisis in the state since September 2023, and his interventions to ensure peace is restored.

Tinubu subsequently announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

ALSO READ: FULL TEXT: President Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State

The President appointed Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.), a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the administrator to oversee the state’s administration during the emergency rule.

What does the Constitution say?

Tinubu drew his power under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the President to declare a state of emergency under specific conditions.

The Constitution, among other things, prescribes that such a decision shall become tenable if there has been a breakdown of law and order in the affected part of the country.

However, the Constitution requires that the proclamation be published in the government gazette and transmitted to the National Assembly for ratification.

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At that stage, a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly is required to validate the declaration, ensuring a system of checks and balances to prevent the abuse of executive powers.

ALSO READ: State of Emergency: Tinubu appoints Vice Admiral Ibas as interim governor in Rivers State

What has happened since 1999?

This development isn’t alien to the Nigerian polity, especially since the return to democracy in 1999. Tinubu’s action makes it the fifth time a sitting President has declared a state of emergency in the Fourth Republic.

His predecessors, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, found themselves in similar positions, having to invoke emergency rules, but with varying implementation.

We present to you below other notable instances:

Plateau State (2004)

After days of escalating ethno-religious violence that led to widespread killings of hundreds of people and destruction in the state, Obasanjo declared a state of emergency to allow for the restoration of peace.

Consequently, Obasanjo suspended the then-Governor Joshua Dariye and the state assembly and appointed Major General Chris Alli (retd.), who served as the state administrator between 18 May 2004 and 18 November 2004.

Ekiti State (2006)

Following a leadership crisis that rocked Ekiti State, Obasanjo was forced to impose an emergency rule in October 2006.

The crisis broke out after the controversial impeachment of Governor Ayo Fayose, which triggered chaos in the South-West state. The then-President appointed Brigadier General Adetunji Olurin (retd.) as administrator until normalcy was restored.

Borno, Yobe, Adamawa States (2013)

Unlike the two previous instances, President Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States in May 2013 had a different dimension.

ALSO READ: State of Emergency: Atiku accuses Tinubu of fuming Niger Delta unrest with ‘selfish calculations’

The decision was triggered by an escalating Boko Haram insurgency, prompting the Federal Government to deploy more troops and impose curfews to curb insurgent activities.

However, while Jonathan initially suspended the governors of the three affected states, he was later forced to reverse the decision following a Supreme Court judgement.