Port Harcourt –Prominent leaders, activists, and legal minds from the South-South geopolitical zone have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately reinstate Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara and end the controversial state of emergency declared in the state since March 18.
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President Tinubu, with the backing of the National Assembly, had suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly, citing concerns over security and governance. The move has since been widely condemned as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
“Restore Order Now” – Elder Ambakederimo
Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, convener of the South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), described the ongoing emergency rule as unnecessary and urged the president to act without waiting for the six-month expiration on September 18.
“The time is now for the emergency rule to be lifted,” Ambakederimo said. “Rivers State is calm. There is no threat to peace or order. Governor Fubara and Minister Nyesom Wike have reconciled in the presence of the president, so what is the delay?”
He emphasized that the National Assembly had already passed the state budget, further rendering the continued emergency “redundant and politically suspicious.”
INC President: “A Constitutional Aberration”
Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), echoed the condemnation, saying: “We frowned at it and will continue to do so until normalcy returns to Rivers State and Nigeria’s democracy. This action was flawed from the start.”
“It’s a Legal Breach, Not a Political Feud” — Eric Omare
Eric Omare, lawyer and former president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), dismissed suggestions that the matter was purely political.
“What is important is that the action is unconstitutional and a sad moment in our democratic journey,” Omare said. “This cannot be reduced to a godfather-godson spat. Those who filed the Supreme Court case must pursue it to its logical conclusion.”
Cleric: “Every Day of Suspension Deepens the Democratic Crisis”
Alaowei Cleric, Esq., Chairman of the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), described the suspension as a “brazen rape of democracy.”
“If we are in a constitutional democracy, then Mr. President must respect that. Suspending a state governor, elected by his people, is the height of executive rascality,” he asserted.
He further criticized the National Assembly and the judiciary, accusing both of failing in their duties to uphold constitutional integrity.
Activist Adima: “Executive Rascality Must End”
Delta-based political activist, Blessing Adima, insisted that the continued suspension of Governor Fubara lacks any legal basis and is eroding public confidence in democratic governance.
“After the public reconciliation, the expectation was that President Tinubu would immediately lift the suspension,” Adima said. “Keeping him out of office is a disservice to the people of Rivers and a betrayal of democratic values.”
She warned that prolonged suspension could further alienate the electorate and diminish confidence in federal leadership.
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Call for Immediate Action
Across the board, the message from the South-South region is clear: President Tinubu must reverse what they see as an unconstitutional overreach, restore democratic governance in Rivers State, and respect the will of the people.
With growing public pressure and the political atmosphere in Rivers now reportedly peaceful, many believe the time has come to end the emergency rule and allow the state’s elected
leadership to resume its constitutional duties.
