The presidency has dismissed allegations that the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other political figures was an attempt to seize power.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, insisted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention was necessary to prevent the state from descending into lawlessness.
He argued that it would be reckless and irresponsible to allow the crisis.
The president has come under severe criticism from many Nigerians for declaring a state of emergency in the oil-rich state.
The critics argued that President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the governor, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly over the prolonged crisis in the state was a rape of democracy and would portray Nigeria in a bad light in the international community.
But the presidency insisted that intelligence reports indicated that militants in the creeks were preparing to sabotage critical oil infrastructure, posing a serious threat to the national economy.
Onanuga said: “Imagine a Rivers State where President Tinubu hesitated. The political standoff could have escalated into chaos, with attacks on lawmakers and vital oil infrastructure at risk. Schools and hospitals would have shut down, investors would have fled, and the economic toll would have been devastating.”
The presidency emphasized that the intervention was a temporary measure aimed at restoring order rather than consolidating federal control.
“This is no power grab. The intervention is temporary, surgical, and aimed at restoring—not replacing—democratic institutions. The six-month suspension is designed to disarm warring factions and stabilize governance,” he added.
The government also criticized what it described as selective outrage from certain political actors and analysts, arguing that while some condemned the intervention, they remained silent on Fubara’s refusal to cooperate with the legislature.
“Democracy cannot thrive amid lawlessness—anarchy is its antithesis.
“The President’s oath demands that he safeguard national stability, not stand idly by as partisan strife chokes our democracy. Rivers is a vital economic artery, and any politically motivated disruption in its oil industry has nationwide consequences,” the presidential aide concluded.