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Tinubu erred by removing Fubara, dep – Lawyers
Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa and Abeny Mohammed on Tuesday faulted the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The SANs described the declaration of emergency state as well as the removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
Following the political crisis in Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state and suspended Fubara, Odu and members of the state House of Assembly for a period of six months.
In a nationwide broadcast, the president nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state.
Rivers State has been embroiled in a crisis since last year when the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and the governor fell out with each other.
The situation led to the alleged defection of 27 members of the state assembly loyal to Wike. The lawmakers subsequently lost their seats but were later reinstated by the Supreme Court.
Before declaring the state of emergency, Tinubu had, earlier yesterday, met with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas as well as National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, service chiefs and heads of other security agencies at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
But a ranking senator said yesterday that the president meeting the leadership of the national assembly was not enough as there was the need for the input of other members
“Why the rush? Why putting a retired soldier to take over? It is wrong to encourage military incursion in politics in whatever guise.
What the president did amounts to error of judgement and it will escalate tension in the Niger Delta. It is illegal,” he said.
Lawyers speak
Adegboruwa (SAN) called on the president to rescind his decision to remove the elected government officials in Rivers State and allow democratic process to be applied in dealing with issues.
“The action of Mr President is premeditated and showed that he is biased,” Adegboruwa alleged.
“I don’t support the actions of the governor or the FCT minister, but the declaration has upended the democratic will of the people of Rivers State.“ The action of the president is unwarranted, undemocratic and uncalled for.”
Adegboruwa also questioned why Osun and Benue states, with issues of local government dispute and Lagos State where two speakers of the state assembly emerged in one day had not been met with a state of emergency.
Similarly, Abeny Mohammed said the action taken by the president was extreme and unconstitutional.
He stated: “The Rivers State governor was elected into office by the people in accordance with the constitution and can only be removed in accordance with the constitution.”
However, Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), said the matter was beyond legal analysis as the crisis in Rivers State was an “upshot of a political crisis.”
It’s political manipulation – Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday described the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State as political manipulation.
He accused the president of being a partisan actor in the crisis, saying “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,” Atiku said.
The presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election in a post on his verified Facebook page said, “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.
“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the president bears full responsibility.
Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”
Why I declared state of emergency in Rivers – Tinubu
In his broadcast, the president said he was disturbed at the turn of events in the political crisis in the state.
He said, “With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years can thrive in a way that will benefit the good people of the state.
“The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.
”The president added, “Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now not disowned them.
“Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together.
Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.
“Latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.”
The president said based on the situation, he was invoking the provisions of Section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “to declare a state of emergency on the state and that it takes effect from Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months,” he said.
Ebira indigenes have strongly condemned claims that the recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly, lacks majority support from the electorate.
Some indigenes from across the five local government areas of Kogi Central have reaffirmed their commitment to recalling the senator, citing the embarrassment she has allegedly caused the senatorial district—an issue they claim has now gained international attention.
In a statement issued on Thursday and jointly signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulazeez Ibrahim, President of the Kogi Central Elites Forum, KCEF, and Prince Akerejola Johnson of Ogori/Magongo LGA, the constituents dismissed allegations that the recall exercise was manipulated or orchestrated by external forces.
“No one is sponsoring this recall. Our people are united in this cause. Historically, Ebiras cannot be deceived. What she has done has largely been propaganda.
“Even those of us who initially supported her on social media have withdrawn our support. We cannot compromise the integrity of our state and country for the self-serving, immature actions of a senator.
“A simple matter of refusing an assigned Senate seat should not have escalated into a national embarrassment with baseless allegations of ‘sexual harassment’, especially when all evidence points to blackmail. This is not who we are as Ebiras,” the statement read.
Addressing the disclaimer by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, regarding the recall process, the constituents clarified that INEC’s involvement comes later in the process.
“INEC has no official role until the signature collection phase is completed. We, the petitioners, are responsible for ensuring that the required threshold is met before formally presenting it for verification. That is when INEC steps in,” they stated.
They urged the public to disregard misleading narratives, emphasising that political statements often reflect individual biases and vested interests.
As Ebira people, we are determined to bring Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan back home. Perhaps, during her time here, she will gain a better understanding of the responsibilities of representing her constituents.
“Ordinarily, we would never tolerate intimidation of our daughter if she were in the right.
However, in this case, she disrespected the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which operates under clear rules, and introduced narratives previously unheard of in Senate history.
“We have conducted our investigations and know the truth. Lawmaking is not content creation, as many have suggested.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan must return home to learn the fundamentals of legislative representation,” the statement added.
This development follows allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which has further fuelled controversy within the National Assembly.
The sole administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has assured residents that his role is non-political and aimed at restoring governance and stability.
In a state broadcast on Thursday, Ibas, who officially commenced his duties at Government House, Port Harcourt, reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding civil liberties and ensuring citizens’ safety.
However, he issued a strong warning against crude oil sabotage and violence, urging residents to reject any attempts to reignite past hostilities.
He described the prolonged political crisis as a major setback for governance and democracy in the state and acknowledged the hardships families and businesses have endured due to the ongoing uncertainty.
Ibas commended President Bola Tinubu for his decisive action in declaring a state of emergency in Rivers, calling it a necessary step to restore order and revive economic activity.
He assured that he would uphold the rule of law, but warned that lawlessness and violence would not be tolerated.
“As a son of the Niger Delta, I am one of you. I feel the weight of this crisis on families, businesses, and the future of our people.
“My mandate is clear: to restore law and order, ensure stability, and create an enabling environment for economic growth.
“But this mission requires collective support from all stakeholders, regardless of political affiliation or ethnicity,” he said.
He revealed that a State Security Council meeting had been convened, during which strategic measures were outlined to de-escalate tensions and prevent further conflict.
Expressing gratitude to President Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility, Ibas also acknowledged the National Assembly for approving the emergency declaration.
Ibas added: “I will work closely with the national leadership under the guidance of the President. I am optimistic that Rivers State will emerge stronger and greater.”
The House of Representatives on Thursday erupted into a rowdy session and shouting match as lawmakers debate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request seeking ratification of the state of emergency declared in River State.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen had upon resumption of plenary read the request of the president seeking the ratification of the House in respect of the state of emergency declared in River State.
The Speaker after reading the letter asked the leader of the House, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, to move a motion for second reading of the request to enable lawmakers debate the request.
However, trouble started when a lawmaker, Obi Aguocha, raised a point of order, drawing the attention of the Speaker to the need for the House to form a quorum as required by the constitution.
The point of Order raised by lawmaker led to a shouting match and rowdy session from lawmakers with Speaker urging them to calm down.
This is the second time in 24 hours that the lawmaker would engage in heated argument over the President’s request.
Details later…
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