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  • This isn’t leadership, it’s cowardice!

    This isn’t leadership, it’s cowardice!

    It is no longer enough to have good intentions. You must have the right godfather, the right logo, the right slogan, and worst of all the right timing approved by invisible political gatekeepers. Otherwise, even a visit to comfort displaced citizens becomes a threat.

    That is the tragedy behind what happened when Peter Obi attempted to visit Benue State.

    Obi, former governor and presidential candidate, has long made it his practice to visit Nigerians in need,quietly, respectfully, and often with personal resources. This time, his mission was clear.

    Visit victims at an IDP camp, support students at a nursing school, and pay courtesy visits to local leaders. Plateau State welcomed him.

    Benue blocked him

    And not with subtlety. A press release from the state government made the rounds just as Obi and his team reached Akwanga, detailing his itinerary word-for-word, an itinerary previously shared only with the governor’s ADC and the security operatives for transparency. Suddenly, security advice shifted. Suddenly, his trip was deemed inconvenient. Suddenly, he was turned back.

    What was the crime? Visiting Nigerians who have lost everything? Supporting a school for nurses in a region where healthcare is gasping for breath? Showing empathy in a time when indifference has become government policy?
    It makes no sense, unless you understand the sickness in our politics.

    Here, every act is interpreted through the lens of power. Nothing is innocent. Nothing is simply humanitarian. If you donate food, you are mobilizing. If you comfort victims, you are plotting. If you speak the truth, you are “eyeing 2027.”

    We politicize everything.
    We politicize grief.
    We politicize poverty.
    We politicize displacement.
    We politicize even the right to be kind.
    We politicize hunger.
    We politicize education.
    We politicize displacement.
    We politicize disaster.
    We politicize people’s pain.

    And what is most painful is that this isn’t about Peter Obi. It’s about what Nigeria is becoming. It’s about the culture of suspicion, the obsession with control, the fear of being shown up,not through insult or attack, but through decency.

    You don’t have to support him to see the problem. Any decent person, regardless of party, should be alarmed by this. Because tomorrow, it could be someone else. Another leader, another governor, another act of kindness interpreted as a political threat.

    We are at a crossroads as a country. We don’t need more bitterness. We need bridges. We need to let go of this idea that everything must serve political interest before it serves people. Not everything is politics. Somethings are just about being human.

    What message are we sending to future leaders who genuinely want to serve? That even if they try to be civil, respectful, and compassionate, they will be sabotaged? That humanitarian acts must be scheduled through egos instead of needs?

    Peter Obi didn’t throw tantrums. He didn’t call names. He didn’t rage or curse. He simply issued a heartfelt statement:
    May God help us as we aim to achieve a new Nigeria where we do not politicize everything.
    But that gentle prayer should hit us hard.

    And in that line lies a question for every Nigerian.

    How did we get here? How did we get to a place where displaced children, traumatized mothers, and hopeful nursing students must wait for political clearance to receive love?

    This isn’t leadership. This is cowardice masquerading as control.

    When a leader sees another person’s compassion as a threat, he has lost his moral compass. When the poor become pawns in a power game, governance has failed.

    His journey may be blocked, but the message went through. Nigerians are watching. Nigerians are reading between the lines. We know what time it is. We know who stands with the people.

    It is not enough to build roads and wear white cassocks on Sunday. Leadership is not decoration. It is service. And when service becomes theater, the people suffer.

    There was once a time when being a Reverend Father meant your conscience was above politics. When being a public servant meant you served without bias, without fear, without the need to play puppet to party overlords. But today, it seems even the pulpit can’t protect us from the pettiness of power!

    Let us be honest.We are bleeding as a country.

    Our economy is crumbling, our students are disillusioned, our IDP camps are overflowing, and our healthcare system is ailing. In times like this, anyone willing to lend a hand should be embraced, not resisted. And if politics is your reason for saying no, then politics has become a curse.

    A school in Gboko will remain unfinished. An IDP camp in Makurdi will remain unseen. All because politics told kindness to wait.

    Imagine a child peeking through a tent flap, watching a convoy turn around,not because it couldn’t find the road, but because the road was blocked by pride. Imagine what that child will grow up believing.

    We say we want a better Nigeria, yet we destroy the very acts that build it.

    Peter Obi’s blocked visit should not be a footnote. It should be a warning. Because when politics begins to fear compassion, a nation is not just broken,it is lost.

    And if we still have any conscience, if we still want this country to work, then we must stop weaponizing everything. Every visit must not be a campaign. Every act of love must not be suspect. Every difference in party must not equal enmity.

    A new Nigeria is possible

    But only if we stop fearing those who are trying to build it differently.
    The people are watching. And history remembers.

    •Stephanie Shaakaa, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.

  • Benue: 13 killed, 50 houses burnt in Otobi Akpa attack

    An attack on the Otobi Akpa community in Benue State on Tuesday evening left at least 13 people dead, several others injured or missing, and over 50 houses destroyed.

    The violence reportedly began around 6:00 p.m. near Otobi Junction when armed herdsmen launched an assault on the town. Eyewitnesses said that sporadic gunfire created panic, causing residents to flee for safety. Unfortunately, several people were caught in the crossfire and lost their lives, while others sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital.

    Local sources say the absence of community vigilantes—many of whom had travelled to a neighboring village for a burial—contributed to the attackers’ unchallenged entry into the area.

    According to residents, the attackers used weapons including firearms and machetes during the assault. Some of the victims were reportedly targeted in their homes, while others were attacked while trying to flee. At least 14 bodies have so far been recovered and taken to the mortuary, though the search for missing persons is ongoing.

    Community elder Adikwu Ogbe, expressing sorrow over the incident, said Otobi Akpa has historically been a peaceful part of Idoma land and had coexisted with herding communities for many years. He noted, however, that tensions have risen in recent times over open grazing and related security concerns.

    Three weeks prior to this attack, a security guard at the Otukpo Dam was reportedly killed during a nighttime incident in the area.

    As of the time of this report, no security personnel were visibly present in Otobi Akpa. Many residents have begun relocating to nearby areas for safety, and several are currently taking refuge at the Federal Government College in Otobi.

    Benue State Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, visited the affected community alongside a contingent of security operatives to commiserate with victims and assess the situation. He assured the residents that the government is taking steps to prevent further violence and restore peace to the area.

    The atmosphere in the community remains tense, and residents continue to flee due to fears of additional attacks.

  • Fed account receives N2.3trn as FAAC shares N1.7trn to FG, states, LG

    Fed account receives N2.3trn as FAAC shares N1.7trn to FG, states, LG

    The Federation Account received a gross revenue of N2.344 trillion in the month of February 2025, out of which the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared the sum of N1. .678 trillion to the federal, states and local government councils for their expenditures in the month of March.

    Total deduction for cost of collection was N89.092 billion while total transfers, interventions, refunds and savings stood at N577.097 billion.
    A statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, in Abuja, on Saturday revealed that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, personally chaired the FAAC meeting, which was attended by the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.

    The total distributable revenue of N1.678 trillion comprised distributable statutory revenue of N827.633 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N 609.430 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N35.171 billion, Solid Minerals revenue of N28.218 billion and Augmentation of N178 billion.

    Details of the revenue showed that the N1.653 trillion shared by FAAC this month was lower than the sum of N1.848 trillion shared to the three tiers of government last month by N194.664 billion.
    The sum of N654.456 billion was available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) which was lower than the N771.886 billion available in the previous month by N117.430 billion.
    Out of the total distributable revenue of N1.678 trillion, the Federal Government received the sum of N569.656 billion; the State Governments received N562.195 billion; while the LGs received N410.559 billion.
    A separate sum of N136.042 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
    On the N827.633 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N366.262 billion and the State Governments received N185.773 billion.
    The Local Government Councils received N143.223 billion and the sum of N132.374 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared with the benefiting States as derivation revenue.
    Out of the N609.430 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, the Federal Government received N91.415 billion, the State Governments received N304.715 billion and the Local Government Councils received N213.301 billion.
    The sum of N5.276 billion was received by the Federal Government from the N35.171 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL).  The State Governments received N17.585 billion, while Local Government Councils received N12.310 billion.
    From the N28.218 billion Solid Minerals revenue, the Federal Government received N12.933 billion and the State Governments received N6.560 billion.
    The Local Government Councils received N5.057 billion and a total sum of N3.668 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.
    The Augmentation of N178 billion was shared as follows: Federal Government received N93.770 billion, the State Governments received N47.562 billion and the Local Government Councils received N36.668 billion.

    The statement said the analysis of revenue in the months under review indicated that Oil and Gas Royalty and Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), increased significantly, while Value Added Tax (VAT), Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT), Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies headed the opposite direction.

  • Rivers: Suspension of Fubara, lawmakers dents Nigeria’s image — Jonathan

    Rivers: Suspension of Fubara, lawmakers dents Nigeria’s image — Jonathan

    Former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has said that the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and other elected officials of Rivers State, dents Nigeria’s image.

    Jonathan said this while speaking as the Chairman at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja on Saturday (today).

    He expressed disappointment that elected officials had been removed.

    Meanwhile, same day, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, supported President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

    The party said no responsible government will allow a situation to deteriorate before taking decisive action in the best interest of its citizens.

    NNPP National Chairman, Dr. Agbo Major, told newsmen: “President Tinubu is the Chief Security Officer of Nigeria.

    “The information available to him as president from intelligence sources may not be in the public purview.

    “The government in Rivers was suspended and no one can actually say what would have happened by now, judging from the deepening crisis.

    “The crisis was further compounded by some leaders who, instead of offering advice or promoting peace during the turmoil, allowed it to escalate before later stepping in to criticize.”

    Jonathan…

    But for President Jonathan, “These actions by key actors in the executive and legislative arms of government paint the country in a negative light.”

    He said it was not the norm for former presidents to comment on issues, so as not to heat up the polity.

    However, Jonathan said, his comment became necessary after calls from many Nigerians, urging him to speak on the events in Rivers State.

    He added that the image of the country and how much investments a country attracts is dependent on the actions of the executive, legislature and judiciary of that country.

    Goodluck Jonathan faulted the situation where an individual can dictate to the judiciary, noting that it makes it difficult for anyone to have faith in the judiciary.

  • State of Emergency: It’s all about Rivers’ money – Anabs Sara-Igbe

    State of Emergency: It’s all about Rivers’ money – Anabs Sara-Igbe

    Sara-Igbe, who spoke on the Morning Show, an Arise TV programme, also said Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s suspension was an attack on the people of Rivers. Excerpts:

    What is your reaction to developments in Rivers State, the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and declaration of a state of emergency as well as its implications for the politics in Rivers?

    This is not the first time a state of emergency has been declared. As spokesman (Dr Reuben Abati) for former President Goodluck Jonathan, a situation like this came up. In three states, a state of emergency was declared. When you (Abati) were asked why the president did not sack the governors, you made it clear that the constitution does not empower Mr President to sack or suspend elected representatives or governors in the case of a state of emergency.

    Mr President relied on Section 305. If you look at Section 305 all through, Section 305 should also apply in the Northern part of Nigeria where we had war. In the case of Rivers State, there is no war, no fight, the whole place is quiet, and yet the state of emergency was declared. Not only that, an elected governor was suspended, the House of Assembly was also suspended. Somehow, this is not proper. It is an illegal action. The constitution did not empower Mr President in any way. I have looked at the condition under which a governor can be removed. This was not part of the conditions in the constitution. But I will tell you why Mr President may have taken this action. One, Mr President, seems to be very desperate to whip opponents to their nails.

    Wike is the hatchet man of Mr President. Last week, he came to Rivers State like a president. He came with the military, the army, the police, the navy, the air force, the DSS, gunboats, airplanes, tanks, artillery, all were mobilised for a visit of a minister, with the intention of causing a crisis so that this state of emergency could be declared. Mr President met with the two of them and set up an agreement. In that agreement, Governor Siminalayi Fubara was asked to withdraw his case from the court. He did but the other party refused to withdraw their case. It is like two men carrying guns. You asked one man to drop his gun and the other man refused to drop his gun and you did not care. You don’t blame him and you ask him to shoot the man and they shot him. That is how they got the Supreme Court judgment they are talking about.

    Mr President accused Siminalayi of not implementing the agreement. If you look at it closely, nowhere in the world where a man who has resigned will be forced to come back and the governor will accept him. But the governor accepted. When he was told to accept the House of Assembly members that have decamped from their party, he (Fubara) did. All the conditions, he (Fubara) complied with it. Yet you are not satisfied. The Rivers State elders looked at it and some of us felt, no. These eight conditions were not good for the state. So we went to court. Those things we were telling Mr Governor not to do that he applied are the ones that are now witch haunting him. You went to the Supreme Court with the same eight-point agenda. You asked the judges to write exactly what you wanted and they did for you. The governor was willing to implement the Supreme Court judgment and was ready to do that and they kept saying they wouldn’t accept it. Mr President never blamed them.

    PANDEF went to see Mr President and I was among them. Mr President blamed the governor, he never blamed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike. Two people are fighting and if you want to make peace, what you would have done is to say: ‘Okay, I will fire my minister.’ At least you have the power to fire a minister that has been causing confusion not only in the Niger Delta, also in the North and in the South-East. You did not fire him, but you could fire the governor that you do not have power to fire. These are things that are obvious. Now, other governors will be watching. Today, it is the turn of Siminalayi Fubara. He (President Bola Tinubu) will apply it to the other states, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, states.

    National Assembly members are there, and the law says they have to confirm. But in this case, he has also gone contrary to the constitution. He has violated the constitution. And he is asking the National Assembly to approve for him that he violated the constitution and they all accepted it. If the National Assembly now thinks this is a president that they can trust, I worry, because definitely he will go after them.

    If you are saying that you are not happy with the decision the president has taken, what would you have expected him to do when you made calls for him to come in to intervene in the crisis? How would you have wanted the president to intervene?

    We are not against him intervening. It is like a father who has two children fighting. You must be fair to both children. You cannot beat one and leave the other causing trouble. It is not possible. It is not right. A father must be fair to all his children. You cannot love one and show the other child that I love this one more than you. In the context of declaring a state of emergency, nobody has quarrelled with the president because he has that power under Section 305.

    However, you don’t have any power in the Nigerian constitution from Section 182, 183, 188, 189, where it is mentioned how a governor or a deputy governor can be removed from office. You do not have such powers. Nothing like that to say Mr President has the power to suspend or remove a governor. When you infringe on the constitution, people will tell you. I am not a lawyer, but this is elementary law that everyone knows. The Attorney General has not advised him properly . This means democracy is at risk. Our democracy is at risk because you must stand by the truth. You are suspending a governor, an elected governor of Rivers State, and you are not suspending or sacking the minister who is fomenting all the problems. He (president) can declare a state of emergency, but he has no constitutional power to suspend the governor.

    His minister who is causing the whole trouble should be sacked. The other day, this man came and abused everybody and told Nigerians openly that it is not only the Ijaw that can bomb pipelines, adding that Ogoni can bomb pipelines, Etche can bomb pipelines, Ikwerre can bomb pipelines. Within the period he has been fomenting problems, Ogoni has bombed pipelines, as he promised. He has sent people to blow pipelines in the Omoku area, as he said. Yet, you are leaving him and you are crucifying a man, an innocent man, because he is peace-loving, because he is quiet, because he is not fighting, and you allow this man who insulted everybody, insulted Niger Delta as a whole and insulted Ijaw nation.

    You said: ‘Oh, Tompolo is the one looking after pipelines,’ so you want to blow pipelines in Ogoni so that you crucify Tompolo because you hate Ijaw. And Mr President is there watching these things.

    Can you provide me with evidence that Wike is behind the bombing of pipelines?

    I will give you the facts. A witch said a child would die today or tomorrow, and tomorrow the child died. That is what empirical facts are. Wike said on national television that Ogoni could bomb pipelines. Here is a man who came to a small community in Rivers State with over 700 soldiers, a DSS, gunboats, airplanes, jets, fire jets. What did he want? Was he going to war? The man wanted a state of emergency by all means. That was why he did what he did.

    What are the elders in the state doing? Where is Fubara, as we speak? Have you spoken to him?

    First, the Supreme Court said don’t release money until Fubara presents the budget. Fubara has been trying to present a budget, but he was prevented. The Supreme Court has not said anything. Money is released to somebody, a stranger, a complete stranger, who came illegally. And their interest is nothing but the money. Otherwise, why not be patient?

    The state has funds that they can use to run it. We have an internally generated fund that can run the state. When you saw that this man was commissioning projects every day, all you needed to do was to stall him. And you brought a stranger, illegally. You have no legal right to suspend the governor. You have no legal right to suspend state funds. You brought somebody, and you released money to him. We have not seen Fubara, and nobody has communicated with Fubara. We do not know what they have done to Fubara. We do not know where Fubara is. We have tried to reach him, but we cannot reach him (as at Thursday). He is in danger. We want Nigerians to know that Fubara’s life is in danger.

    Until we see Fubara speak face-to-face on television, we have not seen him. We have not heard from him. With all sincerity, ask anybody whether they have heard from him (Fubara). He was locked up in the Government House. We only see on social media that he has been released from the Government House. The Rivers people are worried. This is a war against Rivers State, not a war against Fubara.

    Fubara has done so well, and Rivers’ people are happy with him. If Nigerians keep quiet and allow this thing to happen, it will happen in other places. And what are we inviting? We are talking about democracy. This is not a democratic government. This is a dictatorial government. And if this dictatorship is allowed to stand, then the country is finished. As regards whether we are going to see the administrator, Rivers elders are not willing to do so. We are saying that is an illegality and we cannot join illegality. We cannot dine with illegality. We will continue to protest until the right thing is done in accordance with the law.

    Is it possible to imagine that even Wike himself is a loser or a victim in this matter?

    You may not know the background to this issue. Just on Monday, the Federal High Court sat in Port Harcourt. Martins Amaewhule, which is the Wike faction, brought a certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgment and asked the court to strike out the case. The judge said no, he wants to hear the case on its merits. And the judge had both sides and said he would give judgment on the 15th of next month. The moment they came out from court, what we heard was, they were serving an impeachment notice.

    When they realised that they could not go through with impeachment, despite the fact that they had the number, the next thing they thought of was the commando style – a state of emergency, bundle the governor away, I will take over the government and grab the money. They are interested in Rivers’ money and they have taken the money that the Supreme Court said nobody should touch until the governor presents a budget. The governor has written to them through the Secretary of Government. On his own (Fubara), he has written to them. He went to their house, their Assembly quarters and it was locked out. Nigerians are seeing it.

    When they saw that things were not going the way they wanted, all they did was a non-constitutional coup, to remove the governor. What else do we want? If Wike was honourable, he would resign. He is not causing problems to Rivers alone. The North is angry because of Wike, the way he communicates with them. The South-East is angry because of Wike, and the way he communicates with them. He insulted the Niger Delta, thinking the Niger Delta would be happy, and they would support Jonathan. Former President Goodluck Jonathan lost his second tenure because of Wike. It is because of Wike that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, left with five other governors from the PDP. And Jonathan lost the election.

    Do you think President Tinubu will survive under this condition? He has created enemies for him. The next enemy he will create is the West. He will create an enemy between the West and Tinubu.  Mr President is supporting whatever Wike is doing. What we are saying is that if the president is sincere, then Wike should be sacked. Then we will know that he is sincere. Wike is the fomentor of all the problems in the Niger Delta and across the country.

  • Suspension of Rivers Gov, Lawmakers: South-south tackles Tinubu blow-by-blow

    Suspension of Rivers Gov, Lawmakers: South-south tackles Tinubu blow-by-blow

    •President lacks the power to sack elected gov, dep gov, lawmakers – Leaders, stakeholders
    •Brokered unrealistic peace accord between Gov Fubara, Wike
    •It’s incorrect to say the governor ignored the Supreme Court judgment
    •Fubara is wrong to demolish the Assembly complex without providing an alternative venue
    •Both Tinubu and Fubara mismanaged the crisis

    Is President Tinubu unaware that Fubara withdrew his case in court but the lawmakers refused to do so?

    Rising from a meeting with the nation’s security chiefs, leaders, and principal officials of the National Assembly on March 18, President Bola Tinubu, citing several other reasons, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and lawmakers.

    In a nationwide broadcast, he asserted, “I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I watched the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail as soon as possible, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.

    ”With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people unable to access the dividends of democracy.

    “Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same.

    “I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of Thought, and patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter but efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.

    “On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of the rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in clear terms:

    ‘A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case, the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.’

    “The above pronouncement came after a catalog of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

    “In their judgment, having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected,
    ‘are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly, and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the governor) in cohorts with four members.’
    “The Supreme Court, then, made orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy. These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which up till now, has not been facilitated.

    “Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them.

    “Apart from that, the House and the governor have not been able to work together.

    “The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course, given stern orders to the security agencies to ensure the safety of the lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.

    ”With all these and many more, no good, and responsible President will stand and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.

    “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State, having failed to request me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March 2025 and I so do.

    “By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial six months.”

    He announced his nomination of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Retd.) as Administrator of the state.

    Some Nigerians blamed the president for his action, which they described as unconstitutional, and others said it was timely and pragmatic of him to prevent the political crisis in Rivers State from consuming the state and nation.

    Many believe those who blew up the pipelines played into the hands of President Tinubu and Wike. However, there was palpable fear that militants, who, in 24 hours, exploded two oil facilities in the state could inflict more havoc on the nation’s economy if not quickly checked by Tuesday evening when the president declared a state of emergency in the state.

    Destroying oil facilities was the last card some Ijaw tribesmen of the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, believe they could use to countermand Tinubu and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, should the Speaker, Martin Amaehule- led House of Assembly, devoted to the minister, play the impeachment card.

    And, as soon as the lawmakers served the governor and his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu notices of misconduct on Monday, March 17, the boys in the creek swung into action. First was a detonation of the Tran Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, on the same day. The second was an oil facility in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, on Tuesday, less than 24 hours.

    Unknown to them, these two attacks and the danger they posed to the nation’s economy were the picture-perfect alibi President Tinubu and Wike sought to consummate the declaration of a state of emergency in the state. This is in addition to the Supreme Court ruling last month that, “There is no government in Rivers State.”

    Those familiar with the political dynamics unfolding in Rivers State know that Tinubu has done everything to satisfy his political ally, Wike, who installed Fubara. An entitled Wike thinks Fubara betrayed him after he made him governor, and swore to deal with him.

    The probability is that within six months of the Administrator, Fubara will come cap in hand begging for a cease-fire with Wike. In the circumstance, they would arm-twist him to kowtow to Wike’s orders to govern the state and finally, embrace all steps to hand over the state to APC in 2027.

    Fubara had thought the central road they would follow to oust him was impeachment which he and his strategists had planned to frustrate, they did not imagine an elected governor being suspended under a state of emergency in a democratic dispensation.

    Many South-South leaders and stakeholders, who picked point by point the president’s excuses for his action, faulted most of his claims, while a few others vindicated him.

    The Ibenanaowei (traditional ruler) of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, and Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo; Coordinator General of Edo Unity League, in Benin City, Edo State, Prof Akenuwa Obarogie; and a former national spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) HRH Anabs Sara-Igbe, who scrutinized the president’s explanations for his action, and faulted most of his claims.

    The former national spokesperson of the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta, Clarkson Amaebi; and Lawson Oyoyo, a legal practitioner and activist, and the convener of the Ogoni Development Drive, ODD, Comrade Solomon Lenu, also put the president on the hot seat.

    But, the Convener of the Convener South- South Reawakening Group, Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, exonerated the president in some areas, while Zik Gbemre, Coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition vindicated him.

    Tinubu’s peace terms for Fubara and Wike – Prof Obaragie

    ”In fairness, the President brokered a half-baked peace accord. The accord was euphemistic because it merely scratched the surface, rather than a root cause analysis of the crisis.”

    “ Rather than instruct the FCT Minister to stop meddling in Rivers State political issues, and refrain from waging native war against the governor, the president merely asked the governor to continually accord Wike his due respect, and allow the 27 warmongering Assembly members to do their legislative business.

    It was a poor judgment on the part of the president – HRM Dakolo

    “Yes, the intervention of Mr. President may be good from his point of view, but is it the same way the people of River State see those interventions?

    “Some said that the intervention, which Governor Fubara followed hook line and sinker was not obeyed by the Wike’s group.”

    HRH Sara-Igbe

    “It is a one-sided agreement by Mr. President, and Governor Fubara complied with the peace terms.
    “As a peace-loving man, he immediately withdrew all his cases in the court but Amaewhule and the 26 lawmakers refused to do so. Is Mr. President saying that he is not aware of that fact? Nigerians have been watching the trend of events in the state and they know the truth”.

    “Fubara craved for peace but Wike and the lawmakers were busy stoking the crisis. Wike was busy threatening and insulting elders in the state. He was boasting about impeaching Fubara. We all saw what his handpicked loyalists in the Assembly did even after the Supreme Court judgment by serving the governor an impeachment notice”.

    Amaebi

    “The president did not make any genuine effort to resolve the crisis. He only gave an eight-point directive to the governor without any corresponding directive to Wike. Despite the skewed directive, Fubara initiated the implementation by withdrawing the pending suit against the House of Assembly which turned out to be his nemesis.”

    Oyoyo Esq.

    “In what many Nigerians remarked to be a pre-arranged peace agreement between Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, President Tinubu, in his second effort to broker peace between them came up with an 8-point agenda.”

    Gbemre

    “I will not blame Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this, he called both parties involved in the Rivers State crisis to the Presidential Villa, and we are told both parties signed a written agreement. And that Governor Siminalayi Fubara did not implement his side.

    ”The President said he tried publicly and privately to resolve the disagreements between the governor and 27 lawmakers but it did not work.”

    Fubara not implementing Supreme Court judgment: HRM Dakolo

    “No, it is not true. As far as we know, Fubara obeyed everything in this recent Supreme Court judgment. Fubara wrote to the House of Assembly, he went to the House of Assembly. As you know, that Supreme Court judgment has been adjudged as anti-people judgment. It is the Supreme Court no doubt, but since that judgment came, there has been heightened tension in the land.

    “And the purpose of such a body is not to aggravate; not to cause more problems but to do justice in the interest of the majority of the people, not justice that seemed to be in the interest of one character. So, if today, after that judgment, you have a purported state of emergency, you see explosions here and there, and unrest, it means that those judges should go and hide themselves in shame.

    “If there is a way to adjust that judgment, they should do that, otherwise they will go down in history if there is a book of infamy, which is where their names will be written clearly. As you know, I am not a lawyer but lawyers have said, and judges have said that a five-man panel cannot override a seven-man panel.

    “So, if a seven-man panel has decided in the past, which is the precedent. Five men cannot come today, alter and override it. There is a whole problem in the judiciary and the world is watching. Fubara has done quite well.”

    HRH Sara-Igbe

    “In its recent statement, THE Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum comprising eminent personalities like the former Governor of Rivers state, Chief Rufus Ada-George re-echoed that Gov. Siminialayi Fubara made genuine efforts to present the budget as directed within the specified period.

    ”He wrote to the House through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), but it was rejected. He went to the House of Assembly himself, only to be locked out by the lawmakers. Following this development, the governor formally notified the Assembly of his intention to present the budget on March 19, 2025, or any other date convenient to the House within that month.

    ”Despite all these efforts, the lawmakers failed to respond. Instead, they adjourned plenary indefinitely, and resumed on Monday, only to serve an impeachment notice on the Governor and Deputy Governor. These actions were intended to prevent the Governor from presenting the budget, as directed by the Supreme Court, and to provide a pretext for the President to impose a state of emergency as he has done now on Rivers State.

    ”The President’s portrayal of Governor Sim Fubara as non-compliant, while disregarding the misconduct of the 27 House of Assembly members, is misleading and unfair. By doing so, the President has created a narrative that places the blame solely on the Governor which is not the true position of the events.

    ”This biased perspective overlooks the role of the lawmakers, acting, under the influence and direction of the minister of FCT, thus, perpetuating an unjust and one-sided view of the situation”.

    ”The above reflection of the realities of the state of events in Rivers put to question President Tinubu’s assertion that ‘Fubara had practically done nothing to obey the Supreme Court’s verdict’. Again, it points to the total disregard to genuine information either on the part of the President or his media experts.”

    Prof Obarogie

    ”It is not correct to accuse Fubara of doing nothing to implement the Supreme Court judgment, as the 27 warmongering Assembly members denied him every opportunity for an amicable engagement, especially the budget presentation.”

    Ambakederimo

    “Governor Fubara has been magnanimous so far in trying to get this matter resolved, more antagonism has come from his protégé and his foot soldiers, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who violated the Supreme Court order by shutting out the governor that is willing and have pledged to abide by every item in the order sheet.

    “So far, the House members exhibited reckless behavior not fit of lawmakers; this is where l again supported the president on his action for suspending the members of the House of Assembly along with the governor.”

    Amaebi

    “Fubara wrote the Assembly following the Supreme Court judgment. He wrote the Assembly for them to meet on how to implement the decision of the court, including paying outstanding allowances, but they ignored him.

    He wrote to the House to submit the 2025 Appropriation Bill, they again ignored him, and also barred him from gaining access to the Assembly complex.”

    Demolition of the Rivers Assembly: Prof Obarogie

    ”In the first place, demolishing the Rivers State House of Assembly was an unconscionable, barbaric, and reckless action by the governor. In saner climes, the Governors Forum and the National Assembly would hand him an ultimatum within which to rebuild the legislative building.”

    HRM Dakolo

    “In terms of demolishing the House of Assembly, it is neither here nor there. The House of Assembly building was built by the executive, okay? Governor Fubara said that there have been requests to rebuild, refurbish the assembly, or whatever. He looked at it and felt, okay, that is what we should start doing.

    “After all, were billions not used in refurbishing the vice president’s gatehouses, president’s cottages, and so on? It is in line. And that should not be a problem. That should not be counted as an offense against a governor.

    “More so, he is the governor of his state. Are the people protesting? Why should anybody somewhere else cry more than the Rivers people? Why should anybody somewhere, whether Abuja or London or Frankfurt cry more than the River’s people? The governor is there. He was voted in by the people.

    “If the people do not want him, they will do the needful. It is not for anyone else who does not understand what is going on to begin to use sentiments and say he is demolishing the house. Demolishing which house? Do people not buy houses, demolish them, and build skyscrapers on top of it?

    “As far as I am concerned, I do not think it is about the members of the House of Assembly. The House of Assembly people who are against him are doing that because they belong to that cartel that wants to keep sharing N19 billion every month. So people must see this.”

    Ambakederimo

    “The demolition of the House of Assembly for me is a very crude and blatant use of power. This is how the political class abuse power and it is becoming a trend in our body politic. Going further, it is a waste of scarce resources. No reason given for the demolition should be justified, if the building was not good enough, the House of Assembly can be used for other facilities and a new one put up.

    “For the governor not to have deemed fit to provide for a new building smacks of deliberate and premeditated action that should call for an administration panel of inquiry. But to also use this as one reason to oust the governor is not strong enough. In all these, the governor goofed.”

    Amaebi

    “The much talked about demolition of the House of Assembly is a lame excuse. It is within the prerogative of the governor to destroy and build if he feels that it is no longer befitting for the purpose it was built. After all, President Tinubu also rebuilt the vice president’s house with multi-billion naira.”

    Gbemre

    “Let us face the fact squarely. Tinubu did not force Governor Fubara to break down the River State legislative building. That is the height of abuse of power. Being a governor does not give him the audacity to break a different arm of the government’s building.

    ”Was he drunk when he sent bulldozers to break River State legislature building for personal ego? No person knew what he would have done the day he visited the building where the lawmakers were sitting if the gate was open.

    ”Maybe he would have ordered his thugs to beat up 27 lawmakers against him. There are processes to follow. He won’t just drive to the River State Legislative Quarters. He should have properly informed them.

    ”He asked his illegal appointees to write the lawmakers. What stops him from signing the letter when he is fully aware that his appointees were not approved by the River State legislature?

    ”I want to ask Governor Fubara, so it is constitutional to demolish the Rivers State House of Assembly building? It is constitutional to appoint commissioners without approval of the Legislature?

    ”It is constitutional to spend state money without approval of legislature? Does Governor Fubara have the constitutional power to undermine Supreme Court judgment? No.

    ”They say ‘he who comes to equity must come with clean hands’. Tinubu’s action was to save the state from burning further, hence both parties were asked to go on six months’ vacation. Those praising Fubara for being autocratic are not helping him and River State.

    ”On Sunday, March 16 evening precisely, I discussed with a Deltan politician who said if it were him as governor of River State, he would have pursued the 27 lawmakers from the state.

    ”These are kinds of words they told Gov Fubara. It is only a moron that will set his house on fire, and beg his neighbors to help to extinguish the fire. Fubara is the governor of his state and he has to use a lot of natural wisdom to handle this matter.”

    Lenu:

    ”The reconstruction of that edifice is almost at the lintel level. Physical structures do not lie. Anybody can access the Moscow Road where the Assembly Complex is situated to confirm this”.

    Gov Fubara not renouncing militants: HRM Dakolo

    “Is it the job of the governor to disown militants? Did they come to the Government House to threaten? If they threaten in social media, is the governor so jobless that he has to monitor everything? Is he the Commander of the Delta Safe? Is the governor the Chief of Defence Staff? Is the governor the Inspector General of Police? Is he the governor of the NNPCL that gave contracts for the protection of oil and gas pipelines to people? What kind of joke is this?

    Prof Obarogie

    “The President should know that militants are fiefs and have divergent alliances. The governor may not have their ears. The governor also shares in the blame by not openly condemning the threats made by the militants. There is a conspiracy theory to the effect that the militants’ threats and the eventual bombing of the pipeline were premeditated to lay the ground for the state of emergency declaration.”

    Ambakederimo

    “The governor did not conduct himself well in terms of spoken words concerning violence. He gave himself away too quickly. My take on attacks on oil pipelines may have been different from the assumption out there. I say this from an advantageous position as someone who has interacted with many of the militant principal actors in finding alternative incentives to make them look away from the destruction of oil infrastructure and operations of unlicensed refineries.

    “Many of these principal actors are feeling aggrieved that they are left out of the pipeline security contracts, and these guys may capitalize on a crisis like this, and vent their anger on the pipelines.
    “So as of now, no one can say for sure who is responsible for hitting the pipelines. Militarization of the region is not the solution, strategic engagement with the people of the oil-bearing communities is the best way to go.

    “I will encourage the government to engage with the leadership of the Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas (CDC) to find a lasting pathway forward to incessant attacks on oil infrastructure.”

    Amaebi:

    “The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and has the responsibility to protect lives and properties, including critical infrastructures. If some persons threaten to destroy oil facilities, they must direct the necessary security agencies to arrest such persons. It is not within the ambit of any state governor, including Fubara, to bear that responsibility.”

    Suspension of Fubara, others: HRM Dakolo

    “Mr. President should not allow himself to be used in this manner, I have read what the Attorney General of Federation said; that should not come from an Attorney General, and he is not a personal lawyer of somebody, he is the Attorney General of the Federation.

    “I am the King of Ekpetiama Kingdom, I should not side with one group against another group in my kingdom, and I should be fair to all. They should guide the President correctly. They have led the president astray consciously or unconsciously, and the earlier he retraces his steps the better.

    I would not know why Mr. President did not rebuke Wike, but all of these underscore the fact that he may just be one-sided and the result speaks for itself. It is obvious they are out for the oil and nothing else, and so long as he (Fubara) feels that Rivers State money should not be shared with any group of people other than the Rivers people, he will keep having problems.

    “This is unbelievable, am still looking through the constitution to see where Mr. President elected by the people can just wake up one day, and say to an elected governor like himself, you have been suspended for six months. What kind of democracy is that?

    “Even in a banana republic, it will not happen. Why should this happen because the pipelines have been affected? Any time oil is involved, the temperature, the character, the attitude, and the behavior of the government of Nigeria are different. We have been living with 87 deprivations and then one oil well or one pipeline and something is sabotaged, the head of the security apparatus of Nigeria is the one to resign not a governor. A governor whose security is being tele-guided by the Inspector General from Abuja, by some military chiefs in Abuja?

    Prof Obarogie

    “The presidential broadcast painted a miscarriage of justice coloration, as the President tends to rob the back of Nyesom Wike by all available means than to justly act in a manner that assuages the tangible suspicion of stakeholders. It was an overtly mishandled crisis, both by the Governor and the President.”

    Ambakederimo

    “Whether the President has the power to suspend an elected governor is what l cannot say, but public commentators have referred to relevant sections of the constitution to say the president has no constitutional powers to do so.

    ”My submission is that this matter can still be resolved even at this stage. It is just a matter of being strategic and application of strategic intelligence. There are individuals in this country that President Tinubu cannot say no to, the governor should listen to wise counsel, Nyesom Wike can be reined- in by the intervention of these persons, who influence the President. This is the real political solution to resolve this Rivers State political imbroglio.”

    Amaebi

    “The president’s suspension of Fubara, an elected governor, is unconstitutional. It is procedurally flawed. It is pure impunity taken too far. It is akin to military dictatorship which is highly condemnable.

    “The president did not act as the statesman. He is too partisan and clearly showed his hand that his one-sided stance is stimulated by the 2027 elections. He applauded the actions of his appointee. This is a very sad testimony.”

    PANDEF intervention Prof Obarogie

    ”The President must have believed a security report available to him to the effect that PANDEF was aiding and abetting the governor against the 27 warmongering Assembly members, and Nyesom Wike, notoriously known as their patron-clientele.

    ”So, when they visited him, he did not receive them with an open mind. He saw them as a party to the crisis, rather than a willing party to the peaceful resolution of the crisis.”

    HRM Dakolo

    Governor Fubara welcomed the PANDEF intervention, but Wike refused to pay them any attention till tomorrow morning. And of course, what Wike did a few days ago was to abuse the hell out of them. Abuse their head, abuse the dead, abuse the living, so he does not want to settle.

    All he wants is for Fubara must agree to that agreement they had in the dark. Any such agreement is personal and once it is about the people, such agreement is balderdash. If Fubara was a dubious man, he could cut a deal but that is not serving the people.

    “The man said even if I have been bad before now, I am the governor and I want to be good. Yes, someone can opt to be good for once in his lifetime, you can be bad forever, and the people are paramount.”

    Ambakederimo

    “With the benefit of hindsight, again, I say that the PANDEF and other leaders, be it from our ethnic divide, have not done well, and did not do well even up to this stage. We lack strategic engagement when it comes to political engineering.

    “A positive intervention can still be achievable even at this stage if the right contacts are invoked. Governor Fubara still can do much more and straighten out this matter, and also Minister Nyesom Wike. I know and see the body language of the President as a man who is amenable to rescind this decision for the sake of the people of Rivers State.”

    Amaebi

    “When well-meaning Nigerians, including PANDEF, waded into the matter to resolve it, Wike was not forthcoming and was evasive. Even when PANDEF met with the president, he told them that the Supreme Court has given judgment on it, and Fubara should implement the judgment of the Supreme Court.”

    That Fubara, lawmakers couldn’t work together anymore/dividends of democracy – Prof Obarogie

    ”The President was partially correct in his assessment of the dividends of democracy delivery. He must be mindful of making simplistic fallacies, by thinking that the dividends of democracy are wholly delivered by the governor or the executive arm of government.

    ”The legislators have both legislative and oversight functions to make for a holistic delivery of the dividends of democracy. By dismantling the Assembly complex, he rendered the temple of legislation non-existent.”

    HRM Dakolo

    “It is obvious with the type of judgment where people decamped, swore to an affidavit that they have decamped, and somehow because of his (Tinubu) intervention, a bit of it was withdrawn but the other party continued.

    ”You are now saying people who have decamped do not seem to have decamped. Some have even said the National Assembly was supposed to have taken over the Rivers State House of Assembly because 27 persons have decamped, and so they have lost their seats, and this other group is too small to do the legislative business. In that kind of situation, they are supposed to come and help out.

    “What you are seeing in Rivers State is an oil war, if you remove that, you can talk from now till eternity, but you will not get it right. Certain interests want to take over the control of the oil and gas fields and ensure the continuous flow of oil. So, aside from Fubara, and the majority of the Rivers people interested in their lives and safety, I can tell you, unfortunately, pitiably and shamefully, the federal government of Nigeria is not interested in the safety of the people of Rivers State.”

    Ambakederimo

    ”It is a truism that the cordial working relationship between the House members and the governor has irretrievably broken down, things have shown a proclivity to the sloppy slope. Again, as I said, the governor did not engage strategically, the President is right when he said the governor did not come to him.

    ”In terms of governance in Rivers State, there was seamless governance going on in Rivers State until the Supreme Court ordered stopping legitimate funds to be released to Rivers State even when there was calm.”

  • Kogi Central constituents defend recall process against Natasha

    Kogi Central constituents defend recall process against Natasha

    A coalition of Ebira indigenes from across the five local government areas of Kogi Central has dismissed claims that the ongoing recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is being manipulated, insisting that it represents the genuine will of the people.

    In a statement issued on Thursday, the Kogi Central Elites Forum (KCEF), led by President Ibrahim Abdulazeez Ibrahim and Secretary Prince Akerejola Johnson, emphasized their determination to bring the embattled senator back home due to the alleged embarrassment she has caused the district, which they claim has taken an “international dimension.”

    The group urged Nigerians to disregard insinuations that the recall process was a ploy orchestrated by political opponents, insisting that the people of Kogi Central were fully united in the effort.

    “No one is sponsoring this recall. Our people are largely united on this cause. From the history of Ebiras, you know we cannot be deceived. Even those who once supported her on social media have distanced themselves from her. We cannot trade the integrity of our state and Nigeria for the selfish, juvenile tendencies of a Senator,” the statement read.

    The group cited the Senator’s recent altercation in the National Assembly over an assigned seat as an instance of what they described as “reckless conduct that brought unnecessary national embarrassment.”

    Responding to reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclaimed the recall exercise, the group clarified that the commission’s involvement only comes at a later stage.

    “INEC has no official role until after this signature collection phase. We, the petitioners, are handling the recall process at this stage. Once we meet the required threshold, we will then submit it to INEC for verification,” the statement clarified.

    Senator Asked to Return Home and Learn “Purposeful Representation”

    The group emphasized that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan must return home to learn the proper ethics of legislative representation, stating that her approach to politics had been too focused on social media publicity rather than effective lawmaking.

    “Ordinarily, we would never allow anyone to intimidate our daughter if she was right. But in this case, she disrespected the Senate and introduced narratives that have never been heard in the history of the National Assembly. We investigated and we know the truth,” the statement read.

    The recall process follows controversy in the National Assembly after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, an allegation her critics claim was politically motivated following a disciplinary action against her.

    The Kogi Central constituents insist that the recall process is a step toward restoring the district’s credibility, adding that “the Senate is not a place for social media content creation.”

  • Suspension of Fubara: Ijaw Youth leaders drag FG to ECOWAS Court

    Suspension of Fubara: Ijaw Youth leaders drag FG to ECOWAS Court

    ABUJA–Leaders of the Ijaw Youth Council, Eastern Zone, have dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS Court of Justice, over what they described as illegal suspension of Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State and other elected officials, by President Bola Tinubu.

    The 12 litigants, led by Comrade Ibiso Harry, equally challenged President Tinubu’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.

    In the suit marked: ECW/CCJ/APP/18/25, the Applicants, specifically urged the regional court to issue an order, setting aside and/or quashing the suspension of elected officials and removal of the democratic structures and institutions in Rivers state, as an imperative for the enthronement of a full- fledged democratic order.

    They further prayed the court for an order, setting aside all decisions, actions, policies and directives given or issued by the Sole Administrator that President Tinubu appointed on March 18 to superintend over the affairs of Rivers state for six months.

    The Applicants anchored their suit on Articles III and IV of the supplementary protocol amending ECOWAS Court’s protocol; Article II of the Protocol of the court and Article 33 of the Rules of the court.

    They averred that the Respondent’s President (Tinubu), who was elected into political office, lacked the powers to remove or suspend the governor of a state, who was also elected into the office.

    The Ijaw youth leaders further argued that the removal of governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was in gross violation of their fundamental human rights.

    “By so doing, the Defendant has unlawfully taken away the democratic rights of the Applicants and that of the population of Rivers State both individually and collectively,” they added.

    According to the Applicants, President Tinubu’s actions have not only drowned, diffused and collapsed their constitutional rights and that of the people of the state in neo-junta governance but also put them into an unconstitutional, undemocratic and arbitrary manner of governance which they cannot fit into.

    “The implication therefore is that the applicants and the people of Rivers State have lost their existence and dignity as human beings, having been politically emasculated by the loss of the values that accompany democratic governance and deprived of leaders duly elected by them in the democratic space.”

    They maintained that President Tinubu’s actions was antithetical to tenets of democracy, adding that the president exhibited “absoluteness in determining the existence and functioning of democratic systems in national sub-units by upturning and collapsing entrenched democratic systems.”

    “The deliberate disruption of the democratic order in any part of the national structure questions the democratic practice and constitutional authenticity of the nation state, as the forceful removal of popular sovereignty in a part or fraction of the national landscape translates to the non-existence of liberal democracy and non-application and conformity with constitutional norms in the entire federation.

    “The enthronement of an illegal and unconstitutional order in any form within a constitutional democracy threatens the very idea of freedom and precipitates loss of genuineness on the part of the state and its institutions of any legitimate claim to a constitutional democracy.

    “A state of emergency cannot be guise or subterfuge for the usurpation of the executive functions of the Governor or the exercise of the law making powers of the legislature,” the applicants averred in an affidavit they filed in support of the legal action they lodged through a team of lawyers led by Chief Festus Ogwuche.

    Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.

  • Emergency rule: ‘We don’t have democracy anymore’ — Pat Utomi slams NASS

    Emergency rule: ‘We don’t have democracy anymore’ — Pat Utomi slams NASS

    Professor Pat Utomi has blasted the National Assembly for endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State, saying Nigeria does not have democracy anymore.

    The professor of political economy said the Senate and House of Representatives’ endorsement was an insult to Nigerians.

    Recall that President Tinubu recently declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, due to the unresolved political crisis in the state.

    However, despite the barrage of criticisms against the development from political analysts, lawyers and activists across the country, the National Assembly approved the declaration unanimously on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

    Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, March 21, 2025, Prof Utomi said the lawmakers murdered democracy, adding that the National Assembly has been consistent in insulting Nigerians.

    “Democracy was murdered in Nigeria yesterday. I cannot publicly say I come from a country that operates democracy, it’s not a democracy. Even the manner of it is so disdainful of the sensitivity of the Nigerian people. To do what they did yesterday was an insult to the Nigerian people. The National Assembly has become consistent in insulting the Nigerian people. We do not have a democracy anymore,” he said.

    Prof Utomi said most of the current National Assembly members were hiding when people like him fought for democracy.

    He also faulted the lawmakers’ method of voting on the issue and the claim that there was no single dissenting voice during the voice vote.

    Prof Utomi said he had seen a situation when the lawmakers said nays, and the speaker said the ayes have it.

    He added that Nigerian leaders are destroying the country’s institutions, saying it’s a tragedy that Nigeria has been brought to a situation where the world now laughs at the country.

  • Utomi to Tinubu: Why no emergency rule in Lagos during Obasa saga?

    Utomi to Tinubu: Why no emergency rule in Lagos during Obasa saga?

    Prof Pat Utomi has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s motive for declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing there was no ground for such a move.

    In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2024, President Tinubu cited militant vandalization of pipelines and the political situation in Rivers as reasons for consigning the state to emergency rule.

    The President also nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the state’s affairs after suspending Governor Siminalayi Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State.

    However, Prof Utomi faulted President Tinubu’s decision in an interview on Channels Television, saying that the political crisis in Rivers did not warrant a state of emergency.

    The professor of political economy asserted that even when militants in Rivers were blowing up pipelines during the previous administration, the state was not subjected to emergency rule.

    Prof Utomi further questioned the president for not declaring a state of emergency in Lagos State during the crisis involving the Lagos House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and his colleagues.

    “What is the problem in Rivers State that warranted a state of emergency? Tell me what it is. When pipelines were blowing up like popcorn in Rivers State, was there a state of emergency?”

    Why did he not declare a state of emergency in Lagos State when the assembly was running back and forth? Why Rivers? There’s something about fairness, equity and pure decency, and I don’t see it here, and I think it’s a shame that they want to rubbish the democracy that we all fought so hard for.”

    Prof Utomi also blasted the National Assembly for endorsing President Tinubu’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.

    According to him, the endorsement was an insult to Nigerians.