Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi have accused President Bola Tinubu of authoritarian overreach, describing his suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers as a grave constitutional breach.
Tinubu had in March declared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspending Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly for six months, and appointing a sole administrator to run the state. On Wednesday, he lifted the suspension and directed the governor and lawmakers to return to office September 18.
Atiku dismissed the move as meaningless, insisting Tinubu never had the power to suspend elected officials. “Lifting the suspension of Governor Simi Fubara is nothing to cheer about. The suspension was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago and is still illegal today. The Rivers shenanigans only signpost the dictatorship of the Tinubu administration,” he said.
Obi, in a separate statement, called the episode “a misstep that should not have happened,” warning that the breach would leave lasting scars on Nigeria’s democracy. “The restoration of democracy in Rivers State after six months of needless disruption remains a sour side of our democracy today. It was a constitutional breach that will hurt our democracy for a long time. The real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing,” he said.
While commending Rivers people for their endurance, Obi urged Fubara, the lawmakers, and political leaders to embrace peace and move forward, stressing that true leadership lies in admitting mistakes, learning from them, and correcting them.
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