“Restore Fubara Now” — South-South Leaders Urge Tinubu To End Emergency Rule In Rivers State
Stakeholders from the South-South geopolitical zone have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately reinstate Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly, whom they say were unconstitutionally removed from office under the guise of a state of emergency declared on March 18.
The group of leaders, activists, and attorneys insisted that the president does not need to wait until the expiration of the six-month emergency on September 18 before restoring democratic governance in the state.
In separate interviews, they described the continued federal control of Rivers State as anti-democratic and unlawful, especially after Governor Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, publicly reconciled in the presence of President Tinubu in June.
Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, convener of the South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), said there was no justification for the continued suspension of democratic rule in Rivers State.
“The time is now for the emergency rule to be lifted. Barring last-minute maneuvering, I had thought Fubara would have been reinstated by now,” he told Saturday Vanguard. “The president need not wait for the six months to elapse before the emergency is lifted. Rivers State is quiet, the atmosphere is devoid of rancor, and peace is no longer threatened.”
He added: “The National Assembly has passed the state budget. Therefore, it should not take a day longer than necessary to repudiate the proclamation.”
Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), described the state of emergency as a violation of the Nigerian Constitution.
“We frowned at it and will continue to do so until normalcy returns to Rivers State and Nigeria’s democracy,” he said.
Eric Omare, lawyer and former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), said President Tinubu’s action violated democratic principles and should be challenged in court.
“Whether or not the president recalls Governor Fubara, the action remains unconstitutional. This is not about settling a godfather-political son conflict. It is a fundamental breach of the constitution,” Omare said.
He urged those who filed a case at the Supreme Court to pursue it to a logical conclusion, lamenting the lack of urgency with which the apex court has handled the matter.
Alaowei Cleric Esq., Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), described the emergency rule as a “brazen rape of democracy” and condemned the continued silence of the judiciary.
“The excuse given for declaring the emergency was insecurity. But are there still threats to peace in Rivers State? The state of emergency itself is unconstitutional. Counting down to its expiration is somehow validating an illegality,” he argued.
He added, “President Tinubu should respect the tenets of democracy. Suspending governance in Rivers State for political convenience is executive rascality. I only blame the rubber-stamp National Assembly and a Supreme Court that refused to hear the case despite its national significance.”
