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Emergency Rule: Tinubu Welcomes NASS Approval, Says Rivers Crisis Threatened Economy
President Bola Tinubu yesterday commended the National Assembly for its decisive and patriotic ratification of the State of Emergency proclamation in Rivers State.
He said the move is a critical step to restoring stability after a protracted political crisis that paralysed governance in the oil-rich state and endangered national economic security for over 15 months.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the President’s reaction in a statement he signed yesterday titled, ‘President Tinubu salutes National Assembly for patriotic stand on Rivers State emergency proclamation.’
The President specifically lauded the National Assembly’s leadership— Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, other principal officers and members—for “prioritising the security and welfare of Rivers State people above partisan interests and other considerations.”
He further acknowledged the lawmakers’ diligent review of classified security briefings, underscoring the urgent need for intervention to prevent further escalation.
“The crisis in Rivers State was at a perilous tipping point, threatening the security of vital oil and gas installations and undermining the national economy and the significant progress we have made in the reforms initiated since our administration commenced in May 2023,” Tinubu remarked.
He continued, “As I detailed in my address to the nation on 18 March, the near-total collapse of governance, threats to federal economic assets, and the risk of widespread violence left no room for hesitation.
“This emergency measure is a lifeline to safeguard livelihoods, secure critical infrastructure, and restore democratic accountability.”
The President affirmed that the six-month emergency will empower the newly-appointed Sole Administrator to stabilise Rivers State, address systemic breakdowns, and facilitate dialogue among conflicting parties.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the National Assembly to advance peace, economic resilience, and equitable development across Nigeria.
“Today’s decision exemplifies what our nation can achieve when unity of purpose and patriotism guide the action of leaders.
“We remain steadfast in pursuing a safer, more prosperous Nigeria—one where every citizen’s potential is safeguarded and nurtured,” said the president.
He thanked all Nigerians for their understanding and urged all stakeholders to support the restoration of peace in Rivers State.
Tinubu Orders Probe, Priority Treatment For Abuja Tanker Explosion Victims
President Bola Tinubu has ordered priority treatment of persons injured in Wednesday’s tanker explosion at various medical facilities in Abuja.
He also directed a thorough investigation into the incident that resulted in multiple accidents and loss of lives in Karu, Abuja.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed the directive in a statement he signed yesterday titled, ‘President Tinubu directs investigation into tanker explosion in Karu, sympathises with victims.’
Late on Wednesday night, a tragic tanker explosion rocked the Karu area of Abuja, leading to multiple accidents and the loss of several lives.
Preliminary reports suggest that brake failure and poor road conditions contributed to the explosion, though further details are expected upon completion of the official probe.
In the immediate aftermath, Tinubu ordered a thorough investigation, instructing the relevant authorities to determine the root causes and recommend strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The incident is the latest in a series of tanker-related tragedies across Nigeria in 2025.
Onanuga stated, “The President condoled with family members who lost loved ones in the inferno, which happened at the peak hour.
“President Tinubu ordered priority treatment of the injured in various medical facilities in the capital city.
“The President directed security agencies, particularly those concerned with road safety, to pay closer attention to traffic around the capital city’s entry and exit points.”
He prayed for the souls of the departed and the grace of the Almighty God to comfort families that have lost their loved ones.
Nigerians may experience an increase in the prices of premium energy products diesel and petrol as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery temporarily halts the sale of petroleum products in Naira.
“This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
The $20billion refinery based in Lagos said the sales of its products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude it has received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the company explained.
The refinery said it remained committed to serving the Nigerian market and would resume the sale of its product to the local market in Naira as soon as it received crude cargoes from the NNPCL in Naira.
“As soon as we receive an allocation of Naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPC, we will promptly resume petroleum product sales in Naira,” it said.
The announcement by the refinery comes amid its price war with the NNPCL.
As part of moves to reduce the strain on the US dollars, and guarantee price stability of petroleum products, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in July 2024, directed the NNPCL to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in naira and not in United States’ greenback.
In the beginning of March 2025, the NNPCL said its Naira-denominated crude sales agreement with the Dangote Refinery was structured for six months with March 2025 as the expiration date.
The state company, however, said that talks were on to replace the contract, and that over 48 million barrels of crude oil have been made available to Dangote Refinery since October 2024 under the Naira-denominated arrangement.
The NNPCL also said it had made over 84 million barrels of crude oil available to the private refinery since it commenced operations in 2023.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces energy challenges, with all its state-owned refineries non-operational for decades until 2024. The country was heavily reliant on imported refined petroleum products, with the state-run NNPCL being the major importer of the essential commodities.
Fuel queues are commonplace in the country. Prices of petrol more than quadrupled since the removal of subsidy in May 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, from around ¦ 200/litre to about ¦ 1,000/litre, compounding the woes of the citizens who power their vehicles, and generating sets with petrol, no thanks to decades-long epileptic electricity supply.
Last December, the billionaire industrialist commenced operations at the facility situated in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day. The refinery, which was initially bogged by regulatory battles, hopes to achieve its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. The refinery has begun the supply of diesel and aviation fuel to marketers in the country and now petrol.
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world, now sitting at 18th in the week 12 ranking released on Tuesday.
Aruna moved up from 19th place in week 11 to 18th in the latest ranking, while Assar dropped from 17th to 19th.
Denmark’s Jonathan Groth took over Assar’s 17th place, moving up from 18th.
Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s impressive performances at the WTT tournaments this year have boosted his ranking.
Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, repeating his 2023 feat earlier this year in January.
This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who beat him to become the champion of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.
Aruna’s next tournament is the WTT Contender Chennai which serves off in India from March 23 to 20.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her top spot in Africa, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, remained static at 33rd, holding her position as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.
China’s Wang Chuqin retained his position as the second-best player globally, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who continues to hold the top spot. Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto dethroned China’s Liang Jingkun as the third-best player in the world after his semifinal finish in Chongqing.
In the women’s ranking, the top five remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her top spot after retaining her WTT Champions Chongqing title.
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