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FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi condemned the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
In a separate Press Release, the duo said the action of the President contravened the 1999 constitution.
Atiku said,
“The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith.
Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal — or calculated negligence — in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.
Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk.
Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent.
It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations.”
Obi in his own submission said it is unconstitutional and reckless for the President to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Obi added that the action of the President is trampling on democracy and setting a dangerous precedence against democracy and the rule of law.
“The unilateral decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove Governor Similaya Fubara of Rivers State from office is not only unconstitutional but also reckless.
It has plunged us back into a state of lawlessness, hugely undoing the progress we have made in these 26 years of democratic journey.
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A state of emergency does not mean an elected Governor can be removed unilaterally. This decision does not align with democratic norms or good governance. Instead, it appears to be a predetermined action serving specific interests rather than the collective good of the people of Rivers State and Nigeria.
This action constitutes an unconstitutional overreach, setting a dangerous precedent that threatens democracy, the rule of law, and the separation of powers. If left unchecked, it could foster a culture of impunity.
Having already been grappling with non-adherence to electoral qualifications, rules, and massive rigging, adding arbitrary removal of elected officials will push us to a state of nature and anarchy.
I appeal to the National Assembly and all stakeholders not to allow this to stand, as it only deepens the culture of impunity and brigand already threatening our democracy.”
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The President seemingly supports all the insults heaped on the elders and citizens of Rivers State by the FCT Minister who said he would blow up Rivers State if pushed to do so. Now the President is blaming the Governor who seeks for peace at every given opportunity.