Rivers State: Atiku, Obi Blast Tinubu over Fubara

The New Diplomat
Writer

Ad

Ese Oruru: The inspiring triumph of a survivor, By Chidi Odinkalu

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu In April 2020, then governor of Kano State in north-west Nigeria, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, took time off his expensive preoccupation with denying the ravages of the Corona Virus on his state to preside over the “conversion” to Islam of two adolescent females. Governor Ganduje, who later became the Chairman of the…

Details as National Assembly Committee Okays Additional State For South-East

By Abiola Olawale A joint National Assembly Committee on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state for the South-East geopolitical zone. This decision was reached during a two-day retreat in Lagos State. It was gathered that the development is aimed at moving the South-East region closer to achieving parity with other zones…

Why Tinubu Should Sack Wike– Odinkalu

By Abiola Olawale Prominent human rights activist and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has escalated his campaign for President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. This is as Odinkalu pointed to alleged breaches of ethical standards and a pattern…

Ad

  • Say, Nothing to cheer as suspension was illegal

By Obinna Uballa

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi have faulted President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the Rivers State political crisis, insisting that the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers was unconstitutional, in the first place.

Tinubu had in March declared a state of emergency in Rivers following a protracted standoff between Fubara and lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly, appointing a sole administrator to run the state for six months.

On Wednesday, the President lifted the emergency rule and directed Fubara and the lawmakers to resume work on September 18.

Reacting in a post on X, Atiku dismissed the move as illegal, arguing that Tinubu had no authority to suspend elected officials. “Lifting the suspension of Governor Simi Fubara is nothing to cheer about. The suspension was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago and is still illegal today. President Tinubu had no power to suspend a democratically elected governor and state lawmakers. The Rivers shenanigans only signpost the dictatorship of the Tinubu administration,” he said.

Obi, in a separate statement, described the episode as “a misstep that should not have happened,” warning that the breach would leave lasting scars on Nigeria’s democracy. “The restoration of democracy in Rivers State after six months of needless disruption remains a sour side of our democracy today. It was a constitutional breach that will hurt our democracy for a long time,” he wrote.

While congratulating the people of Rivers for their endurance, Obi urged Fubara, lawmakers, and political leaders in the state to embrace peace and learn from the episode. “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. A true leader is one who admits mistakes, learns from them, and corrects them,” he said.

Ad

X whatsapp