Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed the lifting of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s suspension as an action unworthy of celebration.
President Bola Tinubu had in March declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly loyal to him, while appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator. The move, taken at the peak of the political crisis between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, drew sharp criticism from many who described it as unconstitutional, even as others defended it as a necessary step to restore order.
In the months that followed, Fubara met with the President twice, including a private meeting in Lagos. He also reconciled with Wike, appearing with him at several public functions, in a bid to ease the tension in the state. On Wednesday, Tinubu formally lifted the emergency rule and directed Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers to return to office by September 18.
Reacting through a post on his official X handle, Atiku insisted that Tinubu’s initial decision to suspend a sitting governor and elected lawmakers was unconstitutional and remains so today.
“Lifting the suspension of Governor Simi Fubara is nothing to cheer about. The suspension of the Rivers State Governor and the State House of Assembly was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago, and it is still illegal today. President Tinubu had no power to suspend a democratically elected governor and state lawmakers. The Rivers episode only highlights the creeping dictatorship of this administration,” Atiku wrote.
