Politics
Atiku, El-rufai, Obi condemn Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers Governor, demand reversal
A coalition of concerned leaders and political stakeholders in Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately reverse the suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
The leaders made this demand during a joint press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Among those present at the meeting were former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, who was represented by Yunusa Tanko. Also in attendance was former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
Other notable figures, including former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, former Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi, and former Governor of Rivers State Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, were unable to attend but had formally excused their absence.
Describing Fubara’s suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State as unconstitutional and illegal, the coalition urged President Tinubu to reinstate the governor and his deputy without delay.
Furthermore, they called on the judiciary to invalidate the suspension, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent that could be used arbitrarily to remove elected governors in the future.
“Mr. President’s illegal and unconstitutional proclamation was presumably driven by the protracted insidious political crisis in Rivers State, which culminated in the recent ruling of the Supreme Court. Naturally, we expected all parties to the dispute to follow laid-down procedures, and in good faith, to promptly implement the judgment of the highest court of the land. We note that despite provocative statements and the belligerent attitude of his opponents, Governor Fubara had demonstrated goodwill and appeared disposed to implementing the ruling of the Supreme Court,” the leaders said.
They accused President Tinubu of acting out of bias and neglecting his constitutional duty to be fair to all Nigerians.
“However, rather than rise above the fray, the president yielded to petty favouritism and betrayed the oath that he solemnly swore to before God and man, which was to ‘do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.’ If President Tinubu had conveniently disguised his true intentions in the past, his broadcast to the nation on 18th March 2025 betrayed his bias and fell far below the standard of comportment expected from his exalted office,” they noted.
The coalition called on Nigerians to resist what they described as an undemocratic act by the federal government.
According to them, “Rivers State is not a conquered territory, and Nigeria is not a dictatorship requiring the replacement of an ELECTED GOVERNOR with a MILITARY ADMINISTRATOR. We recall that even when a previous administration declared a state of emergency in parts of the country plagued by insurgency and terrorism, the governors of the affected states were not removed from office. This action by President Tinubu, therefore, represents a new low for our country.”
They warned against the potential consequences of political instability in the Niger Delta, reminding the government of the historical unrest in the region.
“Past administrations made great efforts and sacrifices to restore peace and stability to the Niger Delta, which is critical to Nigeria’s economic health. This federal government should not manufacture political crises that could disrupt the fragile stability and return the country to a past that we have all prayed to leave behind for good,” they said.
The coalition insisted that the suspension must be reversed to uphold the rule of law and preserve Nigeria’s democracy.
