Rivers government suspension is ill-motivated, emergency proclamation misplaced|Alimi Salifou
The crisis leading to the suspension of the River State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is a pretext to assert Federal jingoism in the Nigerian state. The suspension is not only unconstitutional but it is also ill-motivated. On March 18, of 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, thus resulting in the inchoate suspension of the elected Governor for six months.
He is to be replaced by an administrator who is to make regulations not laws as regards governance henceforth in Rivers State. Let’s bear in mind that the crisis leading to the suspension of Fubara has been and is being orchestrated by Wike, the former governor of River State, now FCT Minister.
Generally speaking, Nyesom Wike intends to leave his mark in the history of godfatherism in Nigerian politics. After his two terms as Governor of River State, the current FCT Minister longs to disharmoniously exert influence in the politics of River State. This is not happening without causing unnecessary friction within and between political parties.
The current FCT Minister entered politics thanks to his godfathers such as Senator John Azuta Mbata, then the governor of River State Amaechi and the Jonathans. In return, Wike positioned and handpicked Siminalayi Fubara as Governor of River State. Would Wike continue to exert influence as former governor if he were not in a current ministerial position in Tinubu’s cabinet? Obviously, many past governors are toothless lions today and could not instigate a pseudo-state of emergency.
Constitutionally, the suspension is ultra vires the power of the President for violating the Procedure for declaration of state of emergency. By virtue of Section 305 subsections 3 and (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is stipulated respectively as follows:
Subsection (3).
The President shall have power to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency only when -(a) the Federation is at war; (b) the Federation is in imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war; (c) there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security; (d) there is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof requiring extraordinary measures to avert such danger; (e) there is an occurrence or imminent danger, or occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity, affecting the community or a section of the community in the Federation;
(f) there is any other public danger which clearly constitutes a threat to the existence of the Federation; or (g) the President receives a request to do so in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4) of this section Subsection (5).
The President shall not issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in any case to which the provisions of subsection (4) of this section apply unless the Governor of the State fails within reasonable time to make a request to the President to issue such Proclamation.
Obviously the situation in Rivers State has not reached a trigger point to warrant a Proclamation of a state of emergency. For the sake of records, the 2020 #EndSars Protest in Lagos threatened the unity of the Federation, public order and safety than the current political feud between Fubara and Wikeism (Godfatherist ambition of Wike) in Rivers.
Yet the then President did not proclaim a state of emergency nor did Governor Sanwo-olu request for one. While President Tinubu’s proactiveness in various issues under his administration is commendable, it is my humble view that his proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State is ill-motivated and misplaced.
The President could have issued a proclamation of a state of emergency on costs of governance, corruption, governance deficits and energy poverty in Nigeria. The cost of governance is the very case that threatens the unity of the Federation; corruption is a very clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation; governance deficit is a disaster and man-made calamity, affecting various communities in the Federation; impunity and lack of accountability to the people is a public danger which clearly constitutes a threat to the existence of the Federation. These are the parasites gnawing the very pillars of the foundation of the Federation!
As for the political squabble between Wike and Fubara, President Tinubu might have played a statesman’s card and not a play boy’s card despite his need for Wike as an Ace in his (Tinubu’s) sleeve for a second term. However, the establishment of an interim government headed by a man in uniform is a threat to the rule of law and political stability in Nigeria.
Instead of encoraging the men in uniform, President Tinubu could have called Wike to order and allow Fubara to govern within the bounds of the laws of the Federation.
Credit:The Guardian