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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.
Terrorists have attacked St Mary’s School, a Catholic-owned institution in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, and abducted an unconfirmed number of students and staff.
The attack took place in the early hours of Friday.
Local officials said the school was compiling its records and could not yet determine the number of people taken.
A source in one of the Catholic churches in Niger State confirmed the incident, stating that the church would issue an official statement after completing its investigation.
The Head of Department for Disaster and Relief in Agwara Local Government, Ahmed Rofia, also confirmed the attack.
He said the gunmen invaded the school between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. and that authorities were still assessing the scale of the abductions.
Spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun said he was aware of the enquiry and would provide details when available. “I know what you are calling. I will get the details and get back to you,” he said.
When pressed to confirm the incident, he added, “I need to get the details before. I will get back to you. Just give me time.
”Papiri is about 70 kilometers from Babana axis, where Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel, announced its presence in July.
The abduction happened less than a week after a similar abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State.Papiri town is one of the 10 political wards in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
A source in Rofia, a town 30 kilometres away from where the incident happened, also confirmed the incident.
The source whose name has been withheld for security reasons said residents of the town estimated that the terrorists came with 60 motorcycles and a van.
“They packed the students and their teachers in the van and went away with them,” he said.
Bello Gidi, the spokesperson for Agwara Local Government Chairperson Ilyasu Zakari, confirmed the attack, stating that efforts are ongoing to gather “factual details of the incident.
”The raid occurred days after 25 students were kidnapped in Maga, Kebbi State, adding to rising concern over attacks on schools in the region.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has intensified its digital membership modernisation efforts as Comrade Ayodele Adewale led the high, level Train-the-Trainer session for the ongoing E-Registration exercise on Tuesday 18 November 2025.
Comrade Adewale, who serves as the APC Lagos State Organising Secretary and also doubles as the State Coordinator for the E-Registration training and registration exercise, has been central to coordinating the digital rollout across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas, positioning Lagos as a leading example in the party’s nationwide technological transition from analog to digital.
The training, held on Tuesday, 18th November 2025 at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State Secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja, brought together senatorial administrators and strategic stakeholders who will be responsible for executing the digital membership exercise across the state.
In attendance were Dr. Seriki Muritala, APC Lagos State Youth Leader and Lagos East Senatorial E-Registration Administrator covering the Kosofe and Ikorodu axis; Mr. Opeoluwa Adebonu-Topronu, Lagos West II Senatorial E-Registration Administrator covering the Alimosho and Ikeja axis; Alhaji Sharafadeen Ibrahim, Lagos West I Senatorial E-Registration Administrator covering the Badagry axis; Mr. Abdul Waliu Balogun, Lagos East Senatorial E-Registration Administrator overseeing the Lekki and Epe axis; and Mr. Patrick Oyadina, Lagos Central Senatorial E-Registration Administrator covering the Lagos West senatorial axis.
A high-powered delegation of senior APC leaders attended the session to demonstrate the party’s strong institutional backing for the exercise. The delegation was led by Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi (OON), Deputy Chairman of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), alongside other respected GAC leaders including Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and former APC State Chairman; Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale, former Commissioner for Special Duties and former APC State Chairman; Chief Tunde Balogun, former Commissioner for Home Affairs and former APC State Chairman; Alhaji Mutiu Are, Secretary of the GAC; and Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, APC Lagos State Woman Leader and GAC member.
Also present was Hon. Engr. Sesan Olowa, Executive Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government and Chairman of the Conference of the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Area Chairmen and Women in Lagos State, who attended with all LGA/LCDA Chairmen and Women; Hon. L. A. Dally-Adeokun, Chairman of all APC Party Chairmen and Women in Lagos State, likewise led all party Chairmen and Women to the programme.Comrade Adewale educated attendees on the critical importance of the APC digital registration exercise, emphasizing that it will enhance effective planning and mobilisation, improve demographic identification, strengthen party members’ financial contribution structures, facilitate the seamless conduct of party primaries, and provide a platform for efficient information dissemination and strategic decision making.
He highlighted that the session marks the first phase of a structured capacity building cascade. His team is scheduled to train all 20 APC Local Government Supervisors on Tuesday, 25th November 2025, after which these supervisors will train APC ward agents responsible for membership registration across the wards.
He encouraged party leaders, especially LG/LCDA chairmen and APC party chairmen, to mobilise members effectively and ensure they come fully prepared for the digital exercise. He reiterated the need for all members to have their NIN and Voter’s Card ready as valid means of identification and qualification for registration.
Comrade Adewale emphasized that, given the high population of APC members in Lagos State, the state is poised to produce five million and more registered members, which will be the highest in the country.
Dr. Seriki Muritala also registered Alhaji Mutiu Are, Secretary of the GAC, as the first person to be registered at the ward level in Lagos State during the E-Registration test sample session.
Senior party leaders including Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, APC Lagos State Chairman; Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale; Prince Tajudeen Olusi and others praised Comrade Adewale and his team for their efficiency, organisational skill and attention to detail.
They described Adewale’s presentation as highly educational and enlightening; they commended the competence of his team and expressed satisfaction with their dedication to the exercise. The leaders reaffirmed Lagos State’s readiness to complete the E-Registration training exercise before the end of November, describing Lagos State as a model state in the APC’s nationwide digital transformation agenda.
Prior to the E-registration exercise and training, Lagos State was among six South-Western states trained on the 3rd and 4th of October 2025 by APC consultants and senior officials from the APC ICT Department in Abuja, led by Dr. Umar Majigi, Head of APC Headquarters ICT Department, during a specialized workshop held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja.
The statewide E-registration exercise was formally flagged off in Lagos State by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
The ceremony was attended by prominent members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), led by Dr. Ajibola Bashiru, PhD.
With strong leadership backing, comprehensive organisational structure and coordinated training across all levels, the APC Lagos E-Registration training exercise continues to gather momentum, placing the state firmly on track to deliver one of the most advanced, accurate and extensive digital membership database within the Nigerian political landscape.
The grandson of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, known as Olusegun Awolowo is dead.
His passing was announced today by the Awolowo family in a statement.
The statement reads:
Statement on the Passing of Olusegun Awolowo
“With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather- Olusegun Awolowo.
“He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather — steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of our family.
A painfully loyal servant to Nigeria, he dedicated his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment.
He was a true family man, a great friend, a wonderful servant of God, and a deeply beautiful human being.
“He loved his family.
He loved his work.
He loved his country.
And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
The statement added that “THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE CONDOLENCES AT HIS RESIDENCE BETWEEN 2 – 4 PM DAILY.”
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