Fubara trampled on democracy — APC National Publicity Secretary Morka

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Felix Morka, the national publicity secretary for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has supported President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, claiming that Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor, violated democracy.

In a statewide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the president proclaimed a state of emergency following 15 months of political turmoil in the oil-rich South-South state, according to ZINGTIE.

In addition, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and every member of the Rivers Assembly for a first six months and declared a state of emergency in Rivers State by invoking Section 305 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) Constitution.

While some have questioned the President’s constitutional right to act in this way, Morka blasted the opposition in an exclusive interview on Eagle 102.5 FM that our correspondent in Abeokuta heard on Tuesday.

He said, “Everyone commenting has been speaking from a place of political bias; they’re not being objective. If they had been objective, I bet that I would have been invited to discuss the protracted actions of Governor Fubara in desecrating democracy. He was slapping democracy in the face by his actions.

“Shortly after he was elected into office, he moved to replace the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who was also elected like him. When his attempt to remove the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, failed, the governor pulled down the Assembly complex, effectively stalling legislative activities in the state. Yet none of these so-called opposition voices made high-sounding speeches or commentaries. Peter Obi did not say a word while Fubara sought to abolish the state legislature. He then proceeded to freeze every flow of money.”

In support of the state of emergency, Morka emphasized that President Tinubu’s actions were compliant with Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, which gives the president the authority to proclaim a state of emergency when there are serious risks to the country’s governance or security.

He stated that after the largest pipeline in Nigeria, the Trans Niger Pipeline, TNP, was allegedly vandalized, intelligence reports showed rising security risks, including threats to vital oil infrastructure in Rivers State.

Morka further noted that a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly subsequently endorsed the proclamation, demonstrating that it was not a unilateral decision.

“The National Assembly is a multi-partisan body, not just an APC, PDP, or Labour Party assembly. It is the assembly of all parties with elected representatives. Together, having considered all the information available to them, they approved the President’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.”

The suspension of Governor Fubara is among the declaration’s most contentious features. Section 188 of the Constitution provides a clear procedure for dismissing a governor, which was not followed in this instance, according to critics, including members of the Nigerian Bar Association, or NBA.

Morka, however, argued that the governor was suspended by the president as an extraordinary step to stabilize the state rather than being removed.

He referenced the Constitution’s Section 5, Subsection 3, which prohibits a governor from using executive authority in a way that jeopardizes the federal government.

However, Morka brushed these critiques aside, asking why PDP leaders and governors did not confront the situation before it worsened. He said that they had ignored the governor’s actions for months before contesting the intervention when the federal government intervened.

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