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Rivers State: Why Tinubu should continue emergency rule

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3 months ago

September 10, 2025

Wike hints at end of emergency rule in Rivers as Tinubu orders LG elections in 30 days

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Mischief, a major preoccupation of the human mind has been perfected by the word ‘Government’ in this country. And its obvious manifestations are seen daily everywhere in the manner those supposedly entrusted with positions of leadership carry on not only with callous impunity but even as demi-gods.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu imposed emergency rule in Rivers State on March 18,2025 suspending democratic institutions and side lining Governor Sim Fubara’s administration after months of deliberately created political turmoil. In their place, the President installed a quasi-military caretaker government led by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), a former chief of naval staff.

Now the set six -month period will expire in the next few days and the knotty question is: Has peace actually returned to Rivers state?

Whether anybody wants to hear this or not, if embattled Governor Siminalayi Fubara returns to Government House in Port Harcourt on or after September 18th, Rivers State faces an uncertain political future — one marked by fragile truces, deep partisan rifts, and questions about the resilience of Nigeria’s democratic institutions in the face of federal power or rather presidential arrogance and impunity.

What’s the difference between an emergency rule and the conditions given to Sim Fubara for his reinstatement? The embattle governor has been programmed to return to Government House with significantly reduced powers as the Presidency and the former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, tighten their hold on the state.

Is it not obvious that Fubara’s reinstatement was pegged on conditions that would strip him of control over critical governance power and structures?

He will not control the local government and the Rivers State House of Assembly “as this is to ensure that peace reigns.” Can anyone imagine this? What kind of peace is that?

Also hear this: the governor will be presented with a list of commissioners already decided from Abuja, which he would then forward to the House of Assembly that he doesn’t control for confirmation. Haba!

Beyond cabinet composition, key appointments, project priorities, capital projects and major expenditures will also be dictated by Nyesom Wike and President Tinubu. “This measure is to avoid further clashes between the governor and lawmakers.”

This clearly underscores the fact that Fubara must implement all the agreements reached during the last’ peace deal’ which invariably means reducing him to just a ceremonial governor without a political structure or executive power of his own.

If this is not a mockery of democratic rule, tell me what it is! This impunity, this invocation of federal might to cow dissenting voices in our political milieu signals catastrophic consequences in Rivers State and beyond, in the short or long term. Mark my word!

Meanwhile, the local elections conducted under the junta administration of Admiral Ibas’s completely change the political landscape of the state with the hitherto opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) winning 20 of the state’s 23 local governments. The hitherto ruling and the dominant party in the state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was assigned only three ceremonial local governments.

How is Fubara going to return and preside as the governor of the state when his own party the PDP remains fractured, with many of its structures hijacked and controlled by loyalists of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike who are both in PDP and APC at the same time? This is the peace that has returned to the state, abi?

Without mincing words many Rivers people are really disappointed that Sim is showing that all he wants is to get back to office. If Fubara says he’s no longer interested in returning to Government House, Port Harcourt wouldn’t it have been more honourable? He would have turned into a hero of Nigeria’s democracy overnight and a global face for the defence of democratic principle by that singular stance. But no, he wants to return and be a vegetable as a governor!

In the first instance, what was the initial conflict all about? Was it not how the treasury of Rivers State will be feasted on?

As remarked, the people of Rivers must choose to “accept and support this dubious plot or reject it now or never. How can a ‘whole Rivers state’ be subjugated under the whims and caprices of one greedy man who has been running all over the place saying and doing unwholesome things.

In the course of the political crisis which lasted for nearly two years in the state, both Wike and Fubara’s supporters have deep hatred and mistrust for one another and they are yet to come to terms with the peace deal. It will therefore take more than a mere political peace deal to completely heal.

On the day of the local government election, findings showed that Fubara’s men and allies shunned the exercise. They said that the FCT Minister had arrogated every political opportunity to himself and his associates to the detriment of Fubara and his supporters, hence, they boycotted the election.

According to one of Fubara’s commissioners, “The crisis went too deep and will take a longer time of deliberate effort for genuine peace to heal.”

No matter what anybody says or does, these two major gladiators will never trust each other again. The pain of the crisis went too deep. Wike feels betrayed by Fubara and Fubara on the other hand feels so disgraced and embarrassed by the suspension. The peace deal is just a smoke screen. There is so much underneath.

Rivers State has become a prototype of Libya in its current state. There will be no more peace in that state for the foreseeable future.

Wike and Tinubu have demonstrated in no uncertain terms their total ignorance of history and the futility of deploying subterfuge in an effort to achieve a desired outcome. “You can lead a horse to the water, but you can’t force it to drink”, is a well- known saying.

The Pyrrhic victory Tinubu and Wike think they’ve won will surely backfire down the road.

The humiliation Tinubu put the people of Rivers State through with this emergency rule and the insult of appointing a military officer (though retired) as the Sole Administrator has left a deep wound on the conscience of the people. All is not well in Rivers State.

The way I see it, Tinubu’s move was simply the construction of a bridge to nowhere. More harm than good has resulted from this illegality.

The best bet for Fubara is to resign to avoid further humiliation as he is definitely going to be a lame-duck governor after reinstatement.

Now there’s a new turn and even a bigger trap set for Fubara by Wike and his co-travellers. The Chairman of the Council of Legal Education (CLE), Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) few days ago warned that Governor Siminalayi Fubara risks losing his governorship if the Supreme Court fails to urgently hear the pending case on the Rivers State political crisis before September 18.

Speaking in a live coverage by Symfoni, Ngige noted that the state of emergency declared in Rivers, which Fubara has challenged in court alongside 11 state governments, could lapse before the matter is heard, leaving the governor exposed to the same fate that befell former Plateau State governor Joshua Dariye during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

His words: “I ventured into the Rivers State state of emergency. And I said the matter is in court, the soft duties. The governor in suspension has challenged it. Eleven state governments have challenged it. The federal government has filed their defense. So what is stopping the hearing of this case? So my recommendation is that the Supreme Court should, as a matter of urgency whether they are on vacation or not, hear that matter immediately. The state of emergency will expire on 18th of September.”

He cautioned that failure to hear the case would mirror the Plateau experience, where Dariye’s suit against his suspension was dismissed as “academic” after the state of emergency had lapsed.

Outwitted outflanked and cajoled, all eyes are now on Fubara. He should also be informed that there were very serious –minded politicians that fought on his side in this matter including the lawmakers that supported him, the erstwhile council chairmen that were thrown out of office as a result of the dispute. His maturity, integrity, self -esteem, and more importantly his love for the state and her citizens are all hinged on his next move.

But one thing is obvious, ‘It is not yet Uhuru in Rivers state! Take it or leave it.

(IFEANYI IZEZE writes from Abuja: [email protected]; 234-8033043009)