President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State has been met with widespread criticism, with many calling it an “unlawful and tyrannical” move.
He made this disclosure via his verifiable Facebook account Engr Martin Onovo.
Engineer Martin Onovo, a vocal critic of the administration, condemned the declaration, stating, “The constitutional conditions for a ‘State of Emergency’ were not existing in Rivers State. Pipeline vandalisation has been with us for over twenty years, and suddenly it’s a reason for a state of emergency?”
According to Onovo, the crisis in Rivers State is rooted in a power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Wike. “Wike supported Gov. Fubara to get elected as Governor of Rivers State, but then tried to completely control him. When Fubara resisted, Wike tried to impeach him, but failed,” Onovo explained.
He continued saying that the situation took a turn for the worse when Wike’s allies in the House of Assembly decamped, providing evidence of their actions through proceedings, publications, videos, and sworn affidavits. “By law, they should lose their seats, but instead, the Supreme Court came out with another partisan judgment,” Onovo said.
He noted that Governor Fubara accepted the judgment, but Wike moved again to impeach him, only to fail once more. “And then, comes Jagaban Tinubu with an unlawful and tyrannical ‘State of Emergency’ to rescue Wike. It’s nonsense!” Onovo exclaimed.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the declaration of a state of emergency has suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. President Tinubu has nominated retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Rivers State Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state.
The move has been criticised by opposition leaders, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemning it as “an assault on democracy”. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also criticized the declaration, arguing that the Constitution does not empower the President to unilaterally suspend a governor or elected lawmakers.
