BREAKING: Presidency announces when Fubara, Lawmakers will resume duties

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The Presidency maintains that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took quick action to keep the state from devolving into chaos and has rejected accusations that the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other key figures in Rivers State is a power grab.

Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, stressed the urgent need for intervention in a statement issued on Sunday, March 23, 2025. He emphasized that it would have been unwise and irresponsible to wait until the entire governance had collapsed before taking action.

Governance in Rivers State was plagued by the crisis, which resulted from a bitter power struggle between Governor Fubara and State House of Assembly members who supported FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

The opposing sides refused to compromise in the face of Supreme Court decisions upholding constitutional government. The Presidency claims that intelligence assessments verified that militants in the creeks were ready to destroy vital oil infrastructure, directly endangering Nigeria’s economic stability.

“Imagine a Rivers State where President Tinubu hesitated. The political standoff could have spiraled into violence, with attacks on lawmakers and the state’s vital oil infrastructure at risk. Schools and hospitals would shut down, investors would flee, and the human and economic toll would be catastrophic,” the statement read.

By March 18, the situation had gotten so bad that it was impossible to resolve politically that the president had to step in.

The Presidency maintains that the suspension of Governor Fubara and other political figures was a temporary reset rather than a takeover, despite criticism that it is an attack on democracy.

“This is no power grab,” the statement emphasized. “The intervention is temporary, surgical, and aimed at restoring—not replacing—democratic institutions. The six-month suspension is designed to disarm warring factions and stabilize governance.”

It also exposed the hypocrisy of those critics who denounced the President’s action yet said nothing about Fubara’s refusal to work with the legislature.

“Democracy cannot thrive amid lawlessness—anarchy is its antithesis,” Onanuga stated.

When the country experiences a breakdown in law, order, and economic security, as was the case in Rivers, the President of Nigeria is empowered to take action by Section 305 of the Constitution.

In order to defend Tinubu’s swift decision, the Presidency cited historical precedents, including as previous declarations of emergency in Plateau and Borno, as well as the theory of necessity.

“The President’s oath demands that he must safeguard national stability, not watch idly as partisan strife strangles our democracy. Rivers is a vital economic artery, and any politically motivated disruption in its oil industry has nationwide consequences,” the statement asserted.

The restoration of peace and the return to democratic administration of Rivers State have already begun with the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (Rtd.) as Administrator.

Meeting with traditional leaders to create long-lasting solutions was one of his first actions. When stability is attained, the state of emergency will be lifted, the presidency promised Nigerians, enabling elected officials to return to their jobs.

The statement cited 18th-century philosopher Edmund Burke to support the President’s choice, saying, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

It sent a powerful message to its detractors in the end: “President Tinubu chose courage over complacency. His action prioritized Nigeria’s interests over political expediency, averting a deeper crisis. To those calling him a ‘tyrant,’ ask yourselves—what democracy prospers in chaos? The calm in Rivers today vindicates the President’s decision. He deserves commendation, not condemnation.”

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