The six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025 has been described as an act of “lawlessness” by some political actors, who warned that it could influence voter sentiment in the 2027 general elections.
Former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, reacted to the lifting of the emergency rule on Wednesday, asserting that the people of the Niger Delta would hold the federal government accountable for the move.
President Tinubu, in a statement personally signed earlier on Wednesday, restored Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to their positions, effectively ending the emergency rule.
Taking to her verified Facebook page, Onochie wrote: “Tinubu never thought that the six months of hell he illegally and unconstitutionally imposed on Rivers State would come to an end. That lawlessness will be punished in 2027 by Niger Deltans. We are set.”
Similarly, All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, expressed disappointment at Nigerians’ inaction during the suspension of democratic governance in Rivers State. Speaking from Port Harcourt, Eze said the emergency rule represented a struggle between the federal government and Governor Fubara, who had limited control over state institutions, particularly security agencies.
Eze urged Governor Fubara to prioritise the development of Rivers State, emphasizing that service to the people should guide his administration. “Any agreement that does not serve the interest of the people, which the Governor was made to sign, must be subject to the mandate to provide service and be accountable to the people,” he said.
He also criticized public complacency, warning that continued passivity could negatively affect Nigeria’s democracy. “The sins that Tinubu and Wike have committed against Rivers State and her people are unforgivable,” Eze added.
Governor Fubara was reinstated on Wednesday and resumed official duties on Thursday, six months after his suspension.
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