ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to lift the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the state House of Assembly, insisting that the original proclamation was unconstitutional.
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared emergency rule in Rivers State, citing a breakdown of governance and security threats.
The move suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire state legislature for six months.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) was appointed as sole administrator during the period.
On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the President announced the end of emergency rule, declaring that democratic governance would resume at midnight, with the governor, his deputy, and the assembly reinstated from Thursday, September 18, 2025.
But in a statement posted on X on Thursday, September 18, 2025, Abubakar said the action should not be celebrated.
“Lifting the suspension of Governor Simi Fubara is nothing to cheer about,” he wrote.
“The suspension of the Rivers State Governor and the State House of Assembly was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago and is still illegal today.”
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) argued that the President lacked the authority to suspend elected leaders.
“President Tinubu had no power to suspend a democratically elected governor and state lawmakers. The Rivers shenanigans only signpost the dictatorship of the Tinubu administration,” he added.
