‘Looks like Fubara is removed, not suspended’ – Activist speaks on Ibas’ actions in Rivers

Founder of the Albinism Foundation, Jake Epelle has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s sincerity in declaring a state of emergency and appointment of a sole administrator in Rivers State.

On 18 March, the president declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the state lawmakers for an initial period of six months.

The president cited the attack on an oil pipeline and the prolonged political crisis caused by the feud between Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister as reasons for the emergency rule. Mr Tinubu appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired chief of naval staff, as a sole administrator for the state.

Mr Ibas, upon assuming office, announced the dissolution of some boards and commissions in Rivers.

On Tuesday, he reconstituted some of the commissions and appointed sole administrators for the 23 local government areas, prompting criticism from the public.

In an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, Mr Epelle said the president may have removed Mr Fubara under the pretext of suspension.

“Anyone who is in a responsible leadership position will say a thing and keep his word. What they are doing right now doesn’t look to me like suspension but removal. They should be bold enough to say that they don’t want the democratic systems and values that are attributed to Rivers State to continue.

“This is how genocide starts. The National Security Adviser needs to watch it. This is when to tell the president the truth. With the way things are going, it looks like they have deceived us to say suspension when they mean removal.”

‘Ibas instructed to make regulations, not appointments’

While describing Mr Ibas’ appointment as illegal, Mr Epelle said the administrator was instructed to make regulations, not appointments.

He accused Mr Ibas of undermining the Nigerian Constitution and said the appointments made by the administrator have raised eyebrows in the state.

“I will not mince words to describe the so-called sole administrator as illegal. His appointment is illegal. I think they are pushing us to the limit. Rivers people are resilient and peaceful, but this whole drama is becoming laughable and very unconstitutional,” Mr Epelle remarked.

“The instruction the president gave him was to make regulations. I don’t think that he was sent there to make appointments. Are they telling us that they plan to extend this so-called emergency rule,” he said.

Other Nigerians speak on emergency rule

Besides Mr Epelle, other Nigerians including former Governor of Rivers, Ada George and a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, have berated President Tinubu for the emergency rule, describing it as “unconstitutional.”

Mr George, a former governor of the state, is currently the chairperson of Rivers State Elders and Leaders Forum.

At a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Mr George accused the FCT minister of orchestrating the emergency rule because Mr Fubara refused to do his bidding.

On his part, Mr Effiong argued that the situation in Rivers State did not warrant emergency rule. Mr Effiong said the president lacks the power to remove elected officials from office.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has described the emergency rule and the appointment of sole administrator in Rivers as “unconstitutional.”

The NBA, in protest of the president’s action, moved its Annual General Conference earlier scheduled for Port Harcourt to Enugu in Enugu State.

In a statement on Thursday, the NBA said hosting the event in Port Harcourt will amount to endorsing the “illegality” adding that Mr Ibas was subverting the constitution and governing the state as though it was under a military rule.

Reacting to Mr George’s allegation, Mr Wike said the former governor was speaking like “children who lost their most priced toys.”

The FCT minister blamed the emergency rule on what he described as Governor Fubara’s “lawlessness.”

Mr Wike further dismissed NBA criticism, saying that the group was discrediting the president’s action because of the promise by Rivers’ government to host its conference.

Background

Rivers State has been enmeshed in a political crisis since late 2023, leading to the death of at least two persons, including a police operative. The crisis, triggered by the political feud between Messrs Fubara and Wike, defied President Tinubu’s mediation.

Governor Fubara appeared to have taken control of the political structure in the state following the collapse of the peace deal and after the successful conduct of local elections where his loyalists emerged as chairpersons in the 23 council areas.

However, the Supreme Court judgement that invalidated the local elections and restored Mr Wike loyalists as members of the state assembly altered the pendulum in the minister’s favour.

The court had also, in the verdict, ordered Governor Fubara to represent the already signed Rivers 2025 budget to the reinstated pro-Wike lawmakers.

Though Mr Fubara had started implementing the court verdict, hea could not present the budget after the lawmakers’ ultimatum expired.

Mr Tinubu later declared emergency rule in the state, suspended Governor Fubara and appointed Mr Ibas as sole administrator.