Just In: 12 Governors Reject Tinubu's Suspension of Fubara, Give Reason

• The 12 PDP governors have condemned the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by President Bola Tinubu
• President Tinubu suspended the governor, his deputy, and the state's legislature over their failure to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the crisis rocking the state and security report
• The PDP governors described Tinubu's broadcast as a grievous mistake and a threat to the opposition in Nigeria, decrying the president's silence on Wike's role in the Rivers crisis

Bauchi - The 12 governors elected under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have rejected the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers state.

The PDP governors called for the immediate reversal of the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing the move as a "grievous mistake" and an “atrocious and retrograde decision”.

When did Tinubu suspend Governor Fubara?

President Tinubu, on Tuesday, March 18, made a bold decision on the political crisis rocking Rivers. He declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, as the parties involved refused to find lasting peace between the aggrieved camps.

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The two political titans in the state, Governor Fubara and the immediate past governor of Rivers and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have been at loggerheads barely six months after the former took over the mantle of leadership.

During the broadcast, Tinubu announced the suspension of the governor, his deputy and the lawmakers in the Rivers state House of Assembly. The president subsequently appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the state's administrator.

Bala Mohammed speaks on Rivers crisis

Reacting to the development, Bala Mohammed, the chairman of the PDP governors' forum and Bauchi state governor, condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers as an "utter misgiving".

According to Bala, Tinubu's silence on the role played by the FCT minister in the political crisis rocking Rivers state was "golden and enabling."

The governor's statement read in part:

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“He (Wike) has become a law unto himself because he was playing out your script. Now we know. This is not statesmanly, biased, and divisive.”

PDP governors reject Tinubu's state of emergency

The PDP governors posited that Tinubu's declaration was unwarranted and described it as an attack on Rivers state. They argued that the PDP and other opposition parties were not a threat to democracy in Nigeria.

Bala maintained that the move was a dangerous course of action that had the potential to endanger Nigeria's democracy and escalate the crisis in the oil-rich state. The PDP governors said it would deepen mistrust, destroy the economy and elevate security threats as well as Nigeria's national unity and stability.

Tinubu’s action about governance, not politics

Aare Oladotun Hassan, President of the Yoruba Council Worldwide and former secretary of the NBA Epe Branch, urged stakeholders in Rivers state to focus on governance rather than politics.

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"We have to critically look at it from the eyes of a reasonable foreseeability rule because I find it so uncomfortable that the NBA will swiftly condemn that situation, not considering the immediate actions of the state house of assembly that is already going ahead to impeach the governor," the public affairs analyst told Legit.ng.

He condemned the breakdown in communication between the governor and the legislature, describing it as alarming.

"The governor obeyed the Supreme Court order that granted the pro-Wike lawmakers the constitutional power to remain in office. The governor needed to send his budget through WhatsApp, which is even more dangerous, meaning there is no connection, no communication between the state assembly and the executive," he noted.

He stressed that Tinubu’s decision was not politically motivated but necessary to restore order.

"What Mr. President is doing is not about the PDP, APC, it is about the governance of the state and the state is already losing grip into full-blown war," he asserted.

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Calling for collaboration, Hassan urged all parties to support the emergency measures.

"It’s proper time for them to work in tandem with the sole administrator of the state on critical areas of peaceful resolution because this will give room for the state of anarchy to be firstly addressed and at the same time give room for the governor to sit with the state council or assembly if truly they want the state to move forward," he concluded.

Sins of Fubara that Tinubu mentioned

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu finally suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy and the Rivers State House of Assembly following the political crisis rocking the state.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday night, March 18, Tinubu pointed out three times the suspended governor abused the rule of law.

The president also recalled that he had made efforts to ensure a lasting peace but the parties involved have refused to comply.

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Rivers crisis: APC explains how Fubara is author of state of emergency

Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a public affairs analyst for this report.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng