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Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has denounced President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of emergency in the state.

The President had justified his move by claiming that militants had destroyed many oil pipelines and that tensions in the state had increased.

In a statement released on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Eze stated that Nigerians and the international community were already aware that the Tinubu administration’s attempt to seize Rivers State by any means necessary was the reason behind the ongoing political dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and members of the loyalist assembly.

President Tinubu spoke to the country Tuesday night, mainly to address the political situation in Rivers State, according to a ZINGTIE report.

He proclaimed a state of emergency in Rivers State during the speech.

Tinubu said he was “greatly disturbed” by the political unrest in the oil-rich state and blamed Governor Fubara for damaging the State House of Assembly edifice.

He went on to say that he had made the decision to “declare a state of emergency from 18 March” after considering the circumstances.

In order to manage the state’s business while the emergency rule was in effect, he selected Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, Rtd, as an administrator and ordered the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Eze criticized the President for failing to draw attention to the fact that the 27 members of the State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, were impeding the Supreme Court’s ruling. In particular, they refused to accept and discuss the 2025 appropriation bill when the Governor attempted to present it to them during plenary and rejected invitations from the Governor to hold a discussion to determine a course of action.

According to Eze, the President’s position in this situation amply supports and demonstrates his long-standing, alleged bias throughout the entire crisis.

“In fact, Mr. President fueled the crisis and pushed the narrative through the FCT Minister and his lackeys in the State Assembly,” Eze alleged in his statement.

“On the other hand, one can safely say that having failed to use his 27 loyal Assembly members to remove the Governor, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike succeeded in procuring President Bola Tinubu to achieve, to some extent, the onerous task of getting Governor Fubara out of office, though temporarily but illegally too.

“There is no where in the entirety of Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, which President Tinubu cited as the source of his power to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, that the removal or suspension of a democratically elected Governor is envisaged.

“One therefore wonders where the President derived his powers to suspend a democratically elected Governor.

“On several occasions, more particularly in 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan declared state of emergency in some terrorist-infested states in the northeast region without removing the Governors of those states because he was properly guided to understand that such action is ultra vires his powers and if taken would undermine the basic principles of democracy, escalate the crisis and occasion political unrest.

“Since the President took over power in 2023, Nigerians have died in droves; in hundreds and thousands from terrorist attacks, herdsmen invasions, hunger , and other nefarious acts from non-state actors in different parts of the country to warrant a declaration of state of emergency, but he never did; but a mere threat to oil facility has prodded the President to act with the swiftness of a magic wand. So, in Nigeria, oil facilities matter more to the government than human life.

“By this unpatriotic, ill-advised and pre-meditated act of national disgrace, Tinubu has really shown he is not what Nigerians think of him.

“At his age, experience and considering his leadership and managerial acumen, one would have thought that President Tinubu would be patriotic, humane, unbiased, upright and truthful in the handling of the political crisis in Rivers State.

“Without mincing words, the declaration of state of emergency and subsequent suspension of Governor Fubara, his Deputy and the State Assembly without suspending Nyesom Wike, his appointee, who is the arrowhead of the political crisis in Rivers State, is an affront on Nigeria’s democracy and stands highly condemned.

The fact that Tinubu chose to heap unjustifiable blame on Fubara, condemning and casting aspersion on his person, lucidly portrayed the President’s action as one taken in bad faith, and lacking in natural justice.

“So, Tinubu did not see Wike’s role in the political saga or that of the 27 defected lawmakers?

He stated that the ” state of emergency” was “declared to perpetuate a state capture,” adding that “suspending Fubara, while Wike, the major culprit in the political war in Rivers State continues working in Abuja and absolved of any blame, is shameful.

“In fact, by announcing an emergency rule in Rivers State, the President has shown that he is the mastermind of the crisis in the oil-rich state and a major beneficiary of the crisis.”

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