Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly rejected the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The declaration, announced during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday night, follows escalating unrest in the state, including attacks on oil pipelines by militants. President Tinubu also announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months. In their place, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) has been appointed as the state administrator.
Atiku, in a statement, criticized Tinubu’s decision, blaming the president for the security breakdown in Rivers State. He accused the administration of enabling or failing to prevent the crisis, stating that Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos.
“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability—undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president further condemned what he described as political interference, warning that punishing the people of Rivers State over political disputes is an assault on democracy.
Meanwhile, tensions in the state have been high due to an ongoing political battle between Governor Fubara and his estranged godfather, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.
Observers continue to express concern over the impact of the emergency rule on governance and stability in Rivers State.
